Norwegian sailor Jarle Andhoy and his crew have reportedly been released by Chilean authorities following their arrest for their illegal voyage to Antarctica.

Mr Andhoy and four other crew members, including New Zealander Busby Noble, were arrested by armed personnel from a Chilean naval vessel on March 31.

It came after the group, aboard the yacht Nilaya (later renamed Berserk), spent weeks travelling around Antarctica without authorisation.

Mr Andhoy had not received permission for the trip from Norway and was issued a deportation notice from New Zealand late in January.

The group was searching for evidence of the original missing sailboat Berserk, which sank in McMurdo Sound more than a year ago, killing three.

Spokesperson for the crew, Rune Olsgaard, told the Norwegian news website VG Nett the crew were happy and would celebrate their release in true Berserk style, before travelling to the Argentinean port of Ushuaia.

- Herald Online staff