The RIBS were taken from the British Sailing Team's training base in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro and were later found stripped of many of their components.

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The British Sailing Team have confirmed that two of its RIBS were stolen from its Olympic training base in Brazil.

The vessels were taken by thieves 10 days ago from the yacht club, Iate Clube Brasileiro (ICB) in Niterói.

The RIBS were later found and subsequently recovered following the help of local fishermen and yacht club officials.

However, the boats had been stripped of VHF radios, fuel lines and other components, although otherwise they were largely intact.

A spokesman for the British Sailing Team said its bosun was deployed to Rio “to effect repairs and ensure the boats are fit for use again”.

The yacht club has now taken a number of steps to improve security and is “deeply apologetic” following the incident.

Niterói is across Guanabara Bay from the city of Rio de Janeiro and forms part of the Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Area.

Iate Clube Brasileiro in Niterói

Iate Clube Brasileiro in Niterói. Credit: Insta Copacabana/Instagram

 

The theft comes as security concerns grow for the Olympic teams competing in Brazil.

On the morning of 19 June, two members of the Australian Paralympic Team were robbed at gunpoint in Rio.

Meanwhile, three members of the Spanish Sailing Team were also robbed at gunpoint in May at a popular tourist area close to the Marina da Glória Olympic sailing venue.

Two British Olympic sailors Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark were mugged at knifepoint in Rio  in December 2014 as they returned to their hotel from a training session.

The British Sailing Team said the theft of the two RIBS highlights the “challenging nature” of Rio.

“This incident, coupled with recent other security issues involving sailors and staff from other nations, underlines the challenging nature of the environment out in Rio,” said the spokesperson.

“We will continue to work with the relevant authorities and the British Olympic Association to ensure we are well-informed of the risks and will take every measure to mitigate against them,” she concluded.