I'm off to the pub, says freed Weston sailor as he arrives home

The British sailors freed after a week in Iranian custody spoke of their relief to be back home today and said they were keen to start racing again.

The crew of the Kingdom of Bahrain were detained after their yacht strayed into Iranian waters as they headed from Bahrain to Dubai to take part in the Dubai to Muscat offshore sailing race.

Oliver Smith, Oliver Young, Sam Usher and Luke Porter landed at Heathrow this morning following a six-hour flight from Dubai.

Asked what he planned to do now he was back home, Mr Porter, 21, from Weston-super-Mare, said: "Probably go to the pub."

He said he was looking forward to having a "few drinks" with friends and family, and added: "It was a new experience. It was a learning curve. I am grateful to be back.

"I'm looking forward to seeing my mum and dad. My mum has been putting on a bit of a brave face."

Mr Smith said: "It's great to be back. Initially, when we first got stopped,it was not very nice to be blindfolded and taken back to be questioned.

"As time went by, the guys treated us very well. There was no animosity at all."

The sailors had been accompanied on the yacht by David Bloomer, a radio journalist based in Bahrain, who did not fly into London with them today.

Mr Young said: "We had a bit of a shocker really. We are sorry for everything we've put our families through, and thanks to everyone."

The sailors' families were not at the airport to greet them, but an emotional reunion took place at a nearby hotel.

Mr Smith said the experience had not put them off sailing, and said their captors "meant well".

Speaking at Heathrow as the sailors arrived this morning, Sail Bahrain chairman Andrew Pindar said there was a ``high degree of embarrassment'' among the group.

"They're all top-flight professional sailors," he said.

"It's very difficult if you're a sailor and you don't have things marked on a chart to know you've made a mistake.

"They're embarrassed that they've created a problem for other people. The first thing they said was 'Sorry for giving people grey hairs'.

"They were more concerned for other people than for themselves."

Mr Pindar went on: "Something went wrong, but it doesn't stop you going back. These guys want to sail the ocean. They're all professional sailors with ambitions to take part in other ocean races."

The sailors flew back today with Team Pindar team leader Nick Crabtree from Dubai, with Emirates, and arrived shortly after 7am.

During a press conference at the Dubai International Marine Club after their release on Wednesday, Mr Smith said it was not clear from their charts that the yacht had sailed into Iranian waters.

"We had no intention of upsetting anyone. We were just trying to get here (Dubai) to start a yacht race," he said.

Mr Smith, 31, from Southampton, said he was the only one of the group who was not blindfolded after they were stopped because he had to steer the boat.

Once on the Iranian mainland, the crew said they were not allowed to leave the room where they were being held without being accompanied by a guard, but were taken to make checks on their yacht.

They were given the use of a chess board and darts and were sometimes allowed outside during the evenings.

The guards also left the door open as the group ate meals to let fresh air into their room, they said.

Bahrain-based radio DJ Mr Bloomer said the yacht strayed into Iranian waters as they tried to avoid oil rigs in the area.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband welcomed the end to the men's "ordeal",saying the move to free them by the Iranian authorities was proof that "diplomacy can work".