Watching Gold Coast Australia arrive in Qingdao was a very important onlooker who was waiting to welcome the Australia entry, which crossed the line in third place after an eventful race from Singapore.

    Nick Woodward, had raced over 23,000 miles on board Gold Coast Australia, before he medevaced from the boat during the race to the Chinese city.

    During a period of extreme conditions Nick and fellow crew member Tim Burgess, suffered injuries. Nick with a head injury while Tim broke his right leg in two places during a headsail change.

    Australian round the world crew member, Tim, was flown home on Saturday after he and Nick were medevaced to Taiwan during Race 8 and hopes to return before the end of Clipper 11-12.

    Meanwhile, Nick, 53, from Birmingham, is set to rejoin the boat for the race across the Pacific Ocean to California.

    “I’m looking forward to getting back on board the boat and doing some sailing, I missed the four or five days of Race 8 but it was great to be checked out and cleared to be here for when the boat arrived in Qingdao and be part of the celebrations,” reveals Nick.

    “It was quiet odd watching the boat come in and odd watching it on the Race Viewer. I hear a lot about it from my wife and friends, who are following the race but then I had the experience watching the boat and the crew do really well after dropping Tim and myself off in Taiwan, which was a seven or eight hour diversion.

    “Then to see the team pull back up the fleet and finish in third was fantastic. I was glad I was here to welcome them ashore.”

    Gold Coast Australia has won six out of the eight race so far of Clipper 11-12, including five race winning streak and Nick will rejoin the boat hoping to continue their great form.

    “It was nice to see everyone’s smiling faces. I’ve had so many people at home and on the other boats asking how I was and how Tim is, which is nice to know people are interested.”

    The next race across the Pacific Ocean, which will again test the crew with potentially over 30 days spent at sea, but Nick is relishing the opportunity to rejoin the boat after his injury.

    “It’s just one of those things; I’ve left my mark on the boat with the back of my head!

    “It doesn’t put me off at all, there’s a risk associated with ocean racing and it just reinforces the need for one hand for the boat and one hand for yourself which is what we’re always taught and on that particular occasion I had two hands on the sail and lost my grip.”

    Race 9, Qingdao to California starts on Sunday and will see the fleet take on the Pacific Ocean.