Ted Turner has died.

Age 87. R.I.P.

Christian looks a little younger in this picture from the Wall Street Journal.

I haven't been here in a while. I hope all are well.

Fair winds, skipper...

I have memories of Ted's thrilling campaign for the Americas Cup. What was he called? "Captain Outrageous" or something. The boat was Courageous? 12m yachts...beautiful.
I lost interest in Am. Cup when Dennis started the whole multi haul thing. Now...foiling...eh not for me.
Signed,
Mr. Monohull

Glad to hear from you, Tom. We are all pretty much the same, wrangling important issues here such as drawer hardware and cove stripe polish. you could step back in without missing a beat.

I grew up in Port Huron Michigan. In the 1970s I raced the Port Huron to Mackinaw against Ted's Boat, who "if I remember correctly" Dora 4, and 12 meter. Interesting, Gordon Lightfoot also was in the same race on this Golden Goose. I was racing in a Tartan 24c, and I think we started before Ted even left the Dock in Port Huron's Black River. Before the sun when down they passed us. He won that Race.

Tom Metzger said:

Christian looks a little younger in this picture from the Wall Street Journal.

I haven't been here in a while. I hope all are well.

Click to expand...

Great to hear from you, Tom. I think of you often--especially when working on winches or canvas projects! Now that I'm retired, perhaps we could get you out on Tradewinds sometime. . .

frick said:

I grew up in Port Huron Michigan. In the 1970s I raced the Port Huron to Mackinaw against Ted's Boat, who "if I remember correctly" Dora 4, and 12 meter. Interesting, Gordon Lightfoot also was in the same race on this Golden Goose. I was racing in a Tartan 24c, and I think we started before Ted even left the Dock in Port Huron's Black River. Before the sun when down they passed us. He won that Race.

Click to expand...

That should be a Tartan 34

Christian's 1981 biography of Ted Turner is a great read, despite the fact that it ends before a lot of the action took place that turned TT into even more of a household name. Christian's telling of the 1979 Fastnet race from aboard Ted's winning boat is incredible, and was written when the memory of it must have been still relatively fresh.

I don't read a lot of biographies but I read that one in one sitting, and the Fastnet race section twice. Thank you, Christian. I'm sorry for your loss.

There are undoubtedly other sources but I bought my copy here...gosh...10 years ago: