Ted Turner has handed away at age 87. The NCS founder was additionally an America’s Cup victor, a four-time winner of the Rolex Yachtsman of the Year award, and a vibrant character in American yacht racing
One of the largest characters in yacht racing – and notably the America’s Cup – Ted Turner, has died aged 87.
Robert ‘Ted’ Edward Turner III was born on November 19, 1938 in Ohio, USA, and spent his childhood crusing in Savannah, within the Southern state of Georgia, happening to win class championships within the Flying Dutchman amongst others.
After navy faculty he headed to Brown University, the place he represented the Ivy League establishment in crusing, however was expelled for being caught with a feminine visitor in his dorm room.
He joined his household enterprise, Turner Communications, which specialised in promoting hoardings, as an account govt. But his father took his personal life shortly after, and Turner III took over as the corporate’s president.
The younger Turner swiftly proved to have a flair for the media enterprise, diversifying the corporate into radio, tv, and sports activities, with huge success.
Ted Turner photographed with crusing trophies in his workplace at Turner Broadcasting System. Credit: Tom Hill by way of Getty
In 1964, aged 26, Turner trialled for the US Olympic Team within the Flying Dutchman class, however was not chosen to characterize USA on the Tokyo Games.
However, he received the Flying Dutchman World Championships the next 12 months, and additionally received the 5.5-Metre Worlds in 1970.
He then moved into massive boat racing and purchased the 12-Metre American Eagle in 1969. American Eagle was designed for the 1964 America’s Cup, however Turner had it transformed to IOR racing.
After competing in SORC races and the Annapolis-Newport Race, it sailed throughout the Atlantic by itself backside to race within the Fastnet Race.
Officially a ‘reserve’ for the US Admiral’s Cup crew that 12 months, Turner skippered American Eagle to win line honours and set a monohull race document time within the 608-mile offshore race in 1971.
He then shipped the boat to Australia and received the 1972 Sydney Hobart Race on each line honours and handicap.
Turner went on to win each races once more. He received the tragic 1979 Fastnet Race in his personal 61-footer Tenacious.
He is quoted as saying through the race: “Looks like there’s some heavy weather coming. Put up all the canvas, we’ll let God take it down.”
He additionally received line honours within the 1983 Sydney Hobart as skipper of the Maxi yacht Condor.
His crusing successes led to him skippering the Challenger Mariner for the 1974 America’s Cup Defense Trials, however Mariner – which had a radical hull design – was swiftly knocked out, and Turner was dismissed.
Describing the boat, Turner famously famous that ‘even a turd is pointed at both ends’.
Determined to get to the Cup, Turner partnered with sailmaker Ted Hood of the rival Courageous syndicate, which had received the 1974 Cup, with Turner appointed as Courageous’s skipper for the 1977 defence.
The American yacht ‘Courageous’, captained by Ted Turner, crusing at Newport throughout choice trials for the America’s Cup, Rhode Island, August ninth 1977. Credit: UPI / Bettmann Archive by way of Getty Images
In 1977 Courageous and Turner received first the US America’s Cup trials – for which Cup reporter Bob Fisher gave him the moniker of “Captain Courageous” when he got here from behind to defeat the newer 12-Metre Independence, skippered by Hood, and Lowell North on the a lot fancied Enterprise.
He then efficiently defended the Cup within the Match towards the challenger Australia, successful 4-0, and celebrated famously.
He was a four-time winner of the Rolex Yachtsman of the Year award, and is believed to have received over 500 main crusing trophies.
Turner on the official NCS Launch occasion at NCS Techwood Drive World Headquarters in Atlanta Georgia, June 01, 1980. Credit: Rick Diamond by way of Getty Images
Success on the water was mirrored in his enterprise life, with Turner founding the NCS information community in 1980.
NCS grew to become a frontrunner in breaking worldwide information, protecting seismic occasions such because the protests in Tiananmen Square, the autumn of the Berlin Wall, and the Gulf War in Iraq.
Turner was named Time journal’s “Man of the Year” for NCS’s groundbreaking protection in 1991. He later purchased the MGM movie library for $1.6bn, and created the Cartoon Network, earlier than promoting his multi-billion-dollar enterprise within the Time Warner merger.
A passionate environmentalist, Turner was a significant charity donor and obsessed with sustainable improvement – a lot of it on his personal land, and till 2010 he was the biggest personal landowner within the USA.
He gave $1 billion to create the United Nations Foundation charity, and lobbied to cut back the worldwide proliferation of nuclear, chemical, and organic weapons.
He created the ‘Goodwill Games’, after a number of Olympic Games within the Eighties have been impacted by political boycotts, and invested closely in numerous sports activities together with baseball and wrestling.
Turner is reported to have had a long-running feud with fellow media magnate Rupert Murdoch – which based, not in a rankings warfare, however when a Murdoch-sponsored yacht collided with Condor through the 1983 Sydney to Hobart Race.
Condor ran aground however held the race line honours win after protest. At a boozy post-race dinner, Turner and Murdoch exchanged heated phrases – legend has it that Turner later challenged Murdoch to a televised fistfight in Las Vegas.
Outspoken and at instances controversial, he was variously nicknamed ‘The Mouth of the South’ and ‘Captain Outrageous’, although the latter usually utilized to his potential to grab victory from the jaws of defeat on the water.
His personal life was additionally at instances within the headlines: he married thrice – the third time to actor Jane Fonda.
He is survived by his 5 kids, 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
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