The Brits walk, fortunately

Rico says the Iranians wised up and let the five British sailors go, and Hugh Tomlinson and Jim McLean have the story in The Times:

Five British yachtsmen detained by Iran after straying into its territorial waters were being towed back to freedom today after being released by Revolutionary Guards. Iranian state radio announced the men's release early this morning, six days after they were picked up near the Iranian island of Sirri, where they were then held.
A Foreign Office spokesman said that the five and the yacht they had been crewing, the Kingdom of Bahrain, were being towed by Iranian vessels back into international waters in the Gulf, where they would be met by boats from the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club. "We understand that they are most likely to be towed back to the yacht club," he said.
A Bahrain radio boss who employs one of the sailors, David Bloomer, a DJ and presenter, confirmed that they were heading to Dubai, where they had been headed last Wednesday before their propeller broke and they drifted off course.
"They are all heading to Dubai. The boat has been released," Salah Khalid, head of Radio Bahrain, told The Times. "I spoke to Mr. Bloomer on board a couple of hours ago. He called me from the boat to let me know when he was okay. It was a bad connection, but he said he was okay and everyone on the boat was well. They are all in good health and will be in Dubai soon. I am sure he has spoken to his wife. We hope to see him back in Bahrain soon."
The five men are part of the Sail Bahrain yachting team and will be met in international waters by other team members. "We are all absolutely thrilled with the news. It has been an extremely worrying time for all of us and particularly for the families and loved ones of those on board," said Andrew Pindar, OBE, Sail Bahrain's chairman, in a statement. "The team has sent out a boat to meet the crew, where our team director, Nick Crabtree is looking forward to accompanying them safely to shore."
The release of the sailors, defying more gloomy predictions of a protracted diplomatic stand-off, came hours after David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, held talks with Manouchehr Mottaki, Iranian Foreign Minister. He called for formal consular access to the men, who have been held since 25 November, and their speedy release.
Confirming the men's departure from Sirri, Mr Miliband today praised Iran for its "professional" approach to what had always been a purely consular matter and said he was happy for the men and their families after their ordeal of the past week. He told reporters: "I think this is just a straightforward matter: it's not a significant matter; it's not a political matter; I don't believe that there's any wider significance. It shows that diplomacy can work."
"After getting necessary guarantees, Iran released the five," Iranian state radio said, quoting a statement issued by the Revolutionary Guards. "We reached the conclusion that they entered Iran's territorial waters by mistake." The statement added that the men were released several hours ago. A senior official had said on Tuesday that Iran would take serious measures against the five yachtsmen if it proved they had "evil intentions".
The yacht, a Volvo 60 Class vessel, is believed to have left Manama in Bahrain last Tuesday for the 300-mile journey to Dubai, to join 23 other boats in the long-established annual coastal race to the capital of neighbouring Oman. It is thought that a propeller or propulsion failure left the yacht at the mercy of the prevailing wind and currents, leading it inadvertently to drift in areas claimed, or owned, by Iran.
The father of one of the yachtsmen, Oliver Young, had voiced concern that his son could find himself a pawn in a larger game of international politics, complicating his release. David Young told the Plymouth Herald: "It’s just a worry that there are diplomatic stresses at the moment. They are under international pressure. We just hope they’re not used as a bargaining chip."
The other British sailors are Oliver Smith, 31, from Southampton, Sam Usher, 26, from Scarborough, and Luke Porter, 21, from Weston-super-Mare. David Bloomer, the oldest of the group, is in his sixties. Charles Porter, father of Luke, speaking from his home in Weston-Super-Mare said: "We are not making any statement until we have proper confirmation from the Foreign Office. We are waiting for that confirmation." Mr. Young told Sky News he was feeling "very relieved". He added: "We thought it would be over quickly; this is what we were hoping for."