Calls on Iran to free UK yacht crew

Dec 1 2009

Five British sailors are being detained in Iran after their racing yacht was stopped by the Iranian navy, the Foreign Office has said.

Their boat, the Kingdom Of Bahrain, owned by Sail Bahrain, was stopped by Iranian naval vessels last Wednesday as it sailed from Bahrain to Dubai.

The crew members were named on Monday night as Bahrain-based radio presenter David Bloomer, Oliver Smith, 31, from Southampton, Oliver Young, 21, from Plymouth, Sam Usher and Luke Porter, 21.

The sailors are understood to be safe and well. Their families have been informed. The Foreign Office said the yacht may have "inadvertently" strayed into Iranian waters. The sailors were heading to Dubai to join the Dubai-Muscat Offshore Sailing Race. Their detention will further raise tensions between Iran and the West.

Sail Bahrain was recently launched by yachting company Team Pindar. The boat had been due to take part in the 360-mile Dubai-Muscat Offshore Sailing Race which was due to start last Thursday.

Shadow foreign minister David Lidington called for the sailors to be released immediately. He told the BBC: "I think it is completely unjustifiable and I believe Iran should release these people from captivity without delay. There was no justification for them being arrested in the first place."

Dubai-Muscat Offshore Race organisers said the sailors may have been "drifting" after experiencing propeller problems. Louay Habib, from the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club, told the BBC the shore crew for the boat had said "there was no wind at the time, and they told us that they were organising for a tow to come and get them".

Crew member Oliver Smith is an experienced sailor. He completed a degree in Ocean Science and Marine Navigation at the University of Plymouth while sailing on the University Mens' 1st Team. He then spent six months skippering a 50ft survey yacht and doing delivery work in South America and the Caribbean. David Bloomer, who is believed to hold dual British and Irish nationality and is said to be in his 60s, was due to broadcast updates on the boat's progress in the race.

Luke Porter's father Charles said he had spoken to his son on Monday. He told The Sun newspaper: "He was in good spirits and he said he was being well looked after." In a brief conversation, he said his son had told him that the crew had accidentally strayed 500 yards into Iranian waters near the island of Sirri.

Oliver Young's father David told the thisisplymouth website: "We just hope they're not used as a bargaining chip."