I can confirm that conditions were rough, but didnt think they were this rough…

* Volvo Ocean Race organisers decided to split Leg 4 into two stages and hold the six boats in Sanya after Sunday’s leg start to allow enough time for dangerous conditions to clear, with fears that waves of up to eight metres could wreak havoc with the fleet.
Race director Jack Lloyd informed the teams on Saturday that Leg 4 to Auckland would be split for reasons of safety after forecasts of unsailable conditions in the South China Sea.
The first stage will start as scheduled at 1400 local time (0600 GMT/UTC) and will see the boats complete an inshore course in Sanya Bay before sailing past the famous Guanyin Buddha of South China Sea statue and finishing at Sanya Bay lighthouse which marks the entrance to Sanya Marina.
The fleet will then wait until conditions are deemed safe enough for them to sail. The delay will not be for more than 24 hours.

LAT 29 38.7N
LONG 123 25.4E
DTF 400nm
ETA 0600z 22 Feb 12

WEATHER WIND 140@15kts, Sea Moderate, Swell Confused, Cloud 1/8 St, Cl, Baro 1024.9

As we sail into the Yellow sea conditions are getting colder and fishing vessel populations are getting denser. Last night
there was barely a gap between a massive line of fishing vessels, and the radar just looked like a blob of land it had so
many targets on it. All we could do was to find a gap, or if required tack until a gap opens up and then tack back at the
first available opportunity. These nets are long and strong and if one of them gets wrapped around your keel or rudder its
game over until you can cut the boat out. This would mean dropping all sails and jumping over the side in freezing water to cut the nets away and is not a very desirable situation.

Gold Coast Australia has been racing hard to catch back up to the front runners in the fleet after time and distance lost
due to the MEDIVIAC to Taiwan. To add to the excitement Gold Coast has decided to enter into Stealth Mode as we play our
final cards towards the end of the race hoping to gain enough extra time and miles to wind a position on the podium.

Its a massive challenge to try to gain over 50nm on the three leading boats in two days and will require 1kt of extra boat
speed over the other boats constantly. The crew have accepted the challenge and are willing to work hard to define all odds
and get back on the podium. We are doing it for Tim, it is what he would have wanted and we know that if he were here he
would be doing everything he could to make the boat go faster. I know that Tim and Nick would be already missing the racing
and wish they were here onboard with us for the final exciting miles to Qingdao, and both have made the absolute sacrifice for us to win this race.

Just as i was writing this blog the wind veered enough to hoist the kite and now we have our heavy weight spinnaker flying
in 15kts of wind giving us about 8.5kts of boat speed and 9.5kts over ground. Singapore have been located only 25nm ahead
of us and so our target is set. Stealth mode, kite up, a bag of tricks and 20 hours of racing remaining for Race 8 Singapore to Qingdao.

LAT 26 39.8N
LONG 122 59.0E
DTF 582
ETA 0800z 22 feb 12

WEATHER WIND 045@20kts, Sea State 5@1m, Swell NE3m, Cloud 7/8 Cl, Baro 1028

Its been a memorable 24 hours for Gold Coast Australia after the drama packed day following Tim Burgess snapped his leg in two places while changing sails on the foredeck yesterday morning.

After numerous helicopter and launch evacuation attempts were made and failed I made the call to proceed to Chi-Lung which
is a large industrial port in the north east of Taiwan. Nick Woodward was also evacuated following a nasty fall where he
was thrown across the fwd accommodation area and crashed his head yesterday. Nick went in for a CT scan yesterday evening
and go the all clear, while Tim Burgess went in for surgery last night at the first available opportunity after x-ray’s revealed he had snapped his leg in two places!

Once the personnel were evacuated off the boat we were hoping to continue racing straight away however our attempts to leave
the port were hampered by local authorities and media who though we may like to stay the night and escorted us into harbour.
Not knowing the reasons for being told to go alongside I refused to pass my lines to the dock and asked to speak to the
harbour master and immigration officials. In the end it turns out that they were trying to be friendly and even offered us
some soup but after explaining that we were still racing they gave us their best wishes and allowed us to depart their harbour.

Once outside the traffic separation scheme and at the harbour limits we hoisted our sails and continued racing, entering the
race in 4th position. Unfortunately to gain the best out of the current we had to sacrifice a winning tack and headed east
to get into the current stream costing us one place to Visit Finland. Ever since we have been hot on Finland’s heals and
have had them in sight for the past 12 hours. It will be interesting to see where we stand once Geraldton and Singapore
come out of Stelth Mode and if there is any hope of catching them before the finish in Qingdao.

Unfortunately the remainder of the race is fairly straight foward and dictated by waypoints so we can not go chasing wind or
make use of back eddies along the shore (though it is China so probably not a good idea). The remainder of the race is a
drag race, so we will need to stay on the ball, sail straight and trim for speed if we want to win some places back!

We are now further north than the latitude than when Tims incident occurred and we are sailing into the East China Sea.
Conditions have started to get a lot colder over the past 12 hours as we loose the northerly flowing tropical currents and
they are replaced by the cold currents and winds streaming down from the yellow sea. Yesterday people were still wearing
shorts and t-shirts (well I was) and today the thermals have come out, and for many people on board, mid layers are also
being worn for the first time since the southern ocean. Over the next three days before the finish conditions are set to
get bitterly cold, with sub-zero temperatures forecasted in Qingdao on our arrival.

Richard Hewson

After successfully dropping injured crew members Tim Burgess and Nick Woodward off in the port of Chi-Lung Taiwan and finally escaping the port after some confusion about us wanting to leave ASAP rather than stopping overnight for soup and media press releases we finally managed to get immigration clearance and proceeded to sea.

As soon as Gold Coast was clear of port limits we hoisted the sails and continued racing. Basically our plan of attack is to regain the course that we were on 24 hours ago, trying to make the most of the Northern flowing currents. To do this we need to sail east for a couple of hours and then tack to the north. Unfortunately the wind is not really in our favour, but we are determined to try to regain some lost ground and expect to join in 4th position so hopefully we can catch the guys ahead in the remaining 700nm and get on the podium for Qingdao!

A search and rescue helicopter has been dispatched from Taiwan to airlift an injured crew member from Gold Coast Australia, one of the ten 68-foot yachts competing in the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race.
Tim Burgess, 30, a researcher from Petersham, NSW, Australia, has broken his left leg above the knee. The incident happened on the foredeck during a headsail change.
Skipper, Richard Hewson, informed the Race Office by telephone at 0200 UTC. He reported that Tim was in good spirits and had been given morphine and was being looked after by nurses and fellow crew members, Deborah Miller, from Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, and Deborah Grant, from Malanda, Queensland.
De Lage Landen, which was eight miles away from Gold Coast Australia at the time, had already diverted to assist if necessary as they have two doctors among the crew. The Race Office has asked De Lage Landen, to stay with Gold Coast Australia while they proceed towards Tan Shui in Taiwan, as requested by the Taiwanese Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC).
If it is possible in the tough conditions, the helicopter will airlift Tim from the yacht and take him to hospital in the capital, Taipei. The Clipper Race fleet is currently battling strong north easterly headwinds of approximately 30 knots after passing through the Luzon Strait to race up the east coast of Taiwan to Qingdao, China. The sea state is extremely challenging, with steep four-metre waves. Gold Coast Australia was approximately 600 miles from the finish line when the incident happened. The rest of the crew on board are safe and well.

Due to an serious injury that occurred to one of our crew members Tim Burgess this morning while conducting a sail change on
the fore deck Gold Coast Australia is now proceeding at best speed to the port of Chi-Lung Taiwan.

Tim Broke his leg while changing from the storm staysail to the staysail at approximately 0800 this morning. Falmouth Coast
Guard and the Clipper Race Office were notified as soon as the Tim was safely below and a helicopter evacuation was
organised. Unfortunately the helicopter could not effect a successful rescue and so a Taiwan Coast Guard Vessel was
dispatched. After attempting to come alongside the Coast Guard Vessel I made the decision that the transfer would be too
dangerous due to the wind, swell and sea state so we are continuing to Chi-Lung 45nm to our South West at best speed under
engine where Tim will be taken by ambulance to hospital. Crew member Nick Woodward will escort Tim to the hospital so he will be in safe hands.

Nick decided to also be MEDIVACED as a precaution after he was thrown accross the accomodation in rough seas yesterday
afternoon. The force that Nick hit his head on the lockers beside the bed was enough to crach the plywood locker. There is
no obvious signs of further injury to Nick however he still has a headache so we are evacuating him as a precautionary measure.

This is an unfortunate injury for Tim and the crew as Tim is one of our most valuable crew members. Tim is always one of
the first to get up the bow to help out with sail changes and works very hard. It is hoped that Tim will be able to resume
the his position on Team Gold Coast once his leg has healed for the final legs of the race.

Once Tim a successful MEDIVAC is carried out Cold Coast Australia will continue racing to Qingdao China. Our position in
the fleet is yet to be determined but is considered insignificant considering the circumstances. Our main priority at the
moment is the safe disembarkation of Tim and Nick and to ensure they receive the best medical treatment so they can rejoin us as soon as possible

Richard Hewson

LAT 23 48.9N
LONG 1276 07.2E
DTF 757
ETA 22nd Feb 0600z

WEATHER WIND 035@20-30kts, Sea Rough 2m, Swell NE 3m, Cloud 7/8 Cl, Baro 1020

Its been an interesting 24 hours of rough weather and big seas just as we expected as Gold Coast Australia chases down DLL
who is currently 9nm ahead, though the current sea and wind don’t really dictate racing conditions, it is more sailing to
keep the boat and crew in one piece. The best news for the day is that the conditions are set to worsen as we near the tip of Taiwan tomorrow morning.

It is hard to believe only a few months ago we were sailing down wind with the kite up in 30kts of wind and thinking nothing
of it. Its an entirely different ball game when your sailing to windward, especially when there are big seas and lots and lots of water coming over the deck.

The conditions make the crew nervous (understandably) and consequently things take a lot longer to achieve and don’t always
go to plan. A simple tack seems to be extremely awkward for the crew, some of whom are quite inexperienced, and when things
go wrong they normally go horribly wrong. As a consequence I am a very busy skipper at the moment, getting a hours sleep
here and there to forfill my daily requirements, but spending a lot of time on deck ensuring that we remain safe.

Yesterday evening we passed the “ocean sprint” latitude, however I have completely discarded the possibility of gaining one
extra point for the sprint as pushing the boat and crew any harder in these conditions will not end well. Sometimes it is
better just to back off a few turns and ride the storm until conditions are more appropriate for racing.

Some of the currents in this area are quite frightening, especially in pitch black darkness as I found out last night when
due to our tacking issues ended up sailing between “Lanyu” (Orchard Island) and “Hsaio Hung” Islands. We sailed over some
crazy currents, one of which spun the boat 90 degrees so we were going upwind sideways. Speaking to the skipper of DLL this
afternoon he said he was watching our track on AIS and said we reached some blistering speeds, but not to self don’t sail between islands in darkness in this part of the world!

The battering upwind is taking its toll on the crew who are suffering high fatigue as it is impossible to sleep when the
boat is crashing over (and through) waves every 4 seconds. The only time the crew do get to sleep is through complete
exhaustion. Preparing food also becomes a mission in such conditions, and consequently the meals have become a lot more
simple and less nutritious which also adds to the low energy levels. We are only in day two of the “rough stuff” and it is
still quite warm. It will be interesting to see how everybody is fairing on day 5 when it is freezing cold. Will the crew
have got used to life on a 20 degree angle pounding through waves or will there only be a few of us left standing. It will
take some careful encouragement and motivation to ensure that everybody makes it through.

Richard Hewson

LAT 21 39.7N
LONG 120 54.6E
DTF 907
ETA 0600Z 22 FEB 12

WEATHER WIND 023@30kts Sea Rough 2m Swell NE 3m Sky 6/8 Cl Baro 1013

Yesterday afternoon saw the wind completely die off, so much so that we dropped the headsails to the deck to prevent any
damage as we rolled in the swell and I jumped over the side and checked out the prop and rudder for any nets that may have
got caught up on them over the last few days. I was glad to find it was all clear apart from a bit of light growth of small barnacles on the shaft which I cleaned off.

The wind gradually filled in throughout the late afternoon and into the evening and for most of the night we were sailing
with full mainsail and Y1 with a perfect steady easterly breeze to get us across the Luzon Straight in good time. I took
advantage of the situation and had a full nights sleeping preparation for the storms ahead, only to be awoken by the boat being way overpowered as a change came through.

For the rest of the morning we have been gradually working down through our sail inventory from Y1 to Y2 and then Y3 and
three reefs in the mainsail. As the wind continues to increase the storm sails have been taken out of the bildge and are
sitting in the saloon. No doubt the wind will continue to increase as the afternoon go’s on and by the end of this watch we will probably have replaced the staysail with the storm staysail.

As the wind picks up so does the sea and as we crash over the waves it is increasingly difficult to type as I hold on in the
nav station to avoid getting thrown against the equipment. I am looking at different routes to the north other than the
most direct route up the Taiwan coast. The Taiwan coast has up to 3kts of current flowing north, but with the wind blowing
from the north it creates a very dangerous wind over tide effect that will create short steep waves that slow the boat down
and tend to result in damage, hence i am investigating routes to the west that will allow us to stay in the Kiroshio current
as long as possible while avoiding the areas on the course with the largest waves.

Not long to go now and we will be in Qingdao..

LAT 18 51.2N
LONG 120 05.4E
DTW 194nm
DTF 989nm
ETA ?

WEATHER WIND NIL SEA CALM SWELL NE 1.5m Cloud 2/8 St, Baro 1009.9

Yesterday saw light to moderate conditions fantastic for maintenance. I climbed the mast for a rig inspection and drilled
out a crack that was found in one of the spreaders to stop it from travelling any further. Whilst the conditions forecasted
over the coming week are not as extreme as first expected it will no doubt still be rough and it is important for Gold Coast Australia to be in tip top fighting condition.

Yesterday we were in a close duel with DLL and Singapore with only about 14nm separating us at one stage. Early this
morning the GCA and Singapore got a large knock and could only make course to the west while DLL appeared to not be affected
and sailed on towards the North East. GCA gybed and sailed away from Singapore and managed to regain some ground on DLL throughout the morning until we hit a large wind hole.

The forecasted wind for this exact position at this point of time is for 20kts from the east, however at the moment we are
drifting north at 2kts in seas that resemble millponds. Our only comfort is that the only yacht ahead of us DLL appears to also be in the same predicament who are 10nm to our north.

LAT 17 35.4N
LONG 118 53.3E
DTW 281nm
DTF 1083nm
ETA 0600 21 Feb 12

WEATHER WIND 040@4kts, Sea Calm, Swell NE 1.5m, Cloud 4/8 St Cl, Baro 1011.8

Today is Valentines day so we are all having a bit of a laugh and playing a few jokes which is always fun. There have even
been heart shaped scones, and muffins made for the special occasion out of who knows what – i think the crew must be smuggling cake mix onboard!

The wind has gradually reduced overnight and then began to back through the morning, now we are sailing along in under 5kts
of wind trying to make some sort of headway. Occasionally we will sail into a patch of wind of up to 7kts which makes a
massive difference. We also have 2kts of current pushing us towards the east (The current superhighway – nemo)which also helps build our apparent wind up slightly.

Over the last couple of hours we have been sailing away from Singapore with 5kts of SOG leaving them behind in a wind hole,
now we are stopped almost still and looking at the AIS they are doing 5.8kts towards the next waypoint. It is really a game
of chance and depending on how the dice rolls depends if you get wind or if you don’t.

At the moment we sail east trying to get into the stronger currents up the western edge of the Philippines as the forecast
is for no wind on the entire course for the next day so we may as well be drifting in the right direction at 2kts rather than sitting still.

The boat that reaches the top of the Philippines and gets into the new wind first will be at a massive advantage to all the
other boats in the fleet so we are all working incredibly hard to try to utilise whatever breeze we can find.

Richard Hewson