Yacht drama couple head home

Mr Sellers was tied up with his hands behind his back

Two holidaymakers from north Wales who claimed the skipper of their yacht deliberately tried to sink the vessel are making plans to return home from Spain.

Crew members Ivan Holroyd and Rachel Rosen, from Gwynedd, overpowered Spike Sellers and tied him up 90 miles off Finisterre, Madrid.

They set off a radio beacon after claiming Mr Sellers wanted to scuttle the yacht.

A Spanish magistrate held a hearing in private on Friday.

Mr Holroyd and Ms Rosen gave statements to authorities but the local police spokesman stressed the three Britons had not been arrested and no crime had been reported.

Mr Sellers has been discharged after being taken to hospital in Spain.

The case was being examined before an investigating magistrate, in a private hearing in Viviero in Galicia

Two rescue helicopters and a salvage vessel were sent out to help the vessel, after the alarm was raised on Wednesday night.

Rachel Rosen and Ivan Holroyd climbing out of the rescue helicopter

The two crew members apparently overpowered Mr Sellers and tied his wrists behind his back.

Reports from Galicia, where they eventually landed, described how they were straddling the skipper when the first helicopter reached the scene.

They were taken to the small fishing port of Viviero after being rescued from the 12m yacht, Argo.

Mr Holroyd, 34, was thought to have joined Mr Sellers for a fortnight's holiday a week ago with Ms Rosen, who is 32 and from Llanddeiniolen, near Caernarfon.

Mr Holroyd's boss Ian McNeill said the mountaineering instructor from Llanberis, would have taken the whole incident "in his stride".

Mr McNeill described his friend Mr Holroyd, who he first met at Nottingham University in 1989, as a "great bloke".

He said: "All I know is that they were three friends who went on a sailing holiday."

Mr McNeill, who had not spoken to him since the incident, added: "Life's full of adventure."

Mr Sellers is said to be an experienced climber and mountaineering expert and runs a business in the Highlands of Scotland, offering treks, canoeing expeditions and sailing trips.

His partner, Susan O'Keefe, said that she cannot understand what happened on the Argo, the couple's new boat.

But she thought it could be related to an accident he had.

Ms O'Keefe said: ""This news comes completely out of the blue.

"Spike did get hit by a car before he left Portugal last week but we have no idea as to what may have been the cause of this.

"Neither do we really understand fully what has happened. I've spoken to Spike since this incident and considering everything that has happened he sounds okay.

"This is completely out of character for Spike. We have been together for seven years."