Luke Porter, Oliver Smith, David Bloomer, Oliver Young and Sam Usher were released by Iranian officials this morning.
The crew had been travelling from Bahrain to Dubai in the Dubai-Muscat offshore sailing race, onboard the yacht Kingdom of Bahrain, when they strayed 'inadvertently into Iranian waters'.
It is believed the yacht had suffered mechanical problems and had drifted off course.
Speaking outside the Foreign Office this evening Edwin Smith, father of Oliver, said the sailors' relatives were grateful for the work of all those who had brought about their release.
He also praised the decision by the Foreign Office to keep the incident out of the media for the majority of this week, to allow negotiations to take place at a low-key level.
Foreign secretary David Miliband said this morning the incident had never been political and had highlighted the fact that diplomacy could work.
The families of the yachtsmen continually expressed their relief at the news they had been released this evening, although some have seemingly had more contact than others, with one mother claiming she had yet to speak to her son.
The news of their release came this morning after the Revolutionary Guard were quoted in Iranian media as announcing the sailors would be allowed to return to international waters.
'After carrying out an investigation and interrogation of the five British sailors, it became clear that their illegal entry was a mistake,' a statement declared.
'After obtaining necessary guarantees, it was decided to release them.'
The crew had been travelling from Bahrain to Dubai in the Dubai-Muscat offshore sailing race, onboard the yacht Kingdom of Bahrain, when they strayed 'inadvertently into Iranian waters'.
It is believed the yacht had suffered mechanical problems and had drifted off course.
Speaking outside the Foreign Office this evening Edwin Smith, father of Oliver, said the sailors' relatives were grateful for the work of all those who had brought about their release.
He also praised the decision by the Foreign Office to keep the incident out of the media for the majority of this week, to allow negotiations to take place at a low-key level.
Foreign secretary David Miliband said this morning the incident had never been political and had highlighted the fact that diplomacy could work.
The families of the yachtsmen continually expressed their relief at the news they had been released this evening, although some have seemingly had more contact than others, with one mother claiming she had yet to speak to her son.
The news of their release came this morning after the Revolutionary Guard were quoted in Iranian media as announcing the sailors would be allowed to return to international waters.
'After carrying out an investigation and interrogation of the five British sailors, it became clear that their illegal entry was a mistake,' a statement declared.
'After obtaining necessary guarantees, it was decided to release them.'
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