Ted Turner Died Today

"Ted Turner, Creator of CNN and the 24-Hour News Cycle, Dies at 87. As one of the most important figures in media history, he oversaw a vast cable empire of news, sports and entertainment channels."

I got to meet him in 1974 when he was chosen to defend the America's Cup, as skipper of a radically new 12-meter design by Britton Chance.  He was an astounding sailor, one of his great passions in life.  The boat was sponsored by the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and we were doing a story about him and the defense of the cup.  So I went to the Merchant Academy and thought I would be riding along in one of the other boats so that I could get to photograph him, from a distance.  We were all standing around on the dock and he was figuring out who would crew which boat.  Mariner was going to be sailing alongside Valiant, a 12-meter from years before.  You always sail against another boat to see how good your new boat is.  So he needed a crew for Valiant as well as Mariner.  So he is counting crew members and I am standing there with cameras hanging off of me, and I hear him holler out at me: "Youngblood, can you grind a winch?"  I immediately replied "Yes Sir" and with that I was going to be on the crew of Valiant for the day!  I was only needed as a winch grinder when the boat was running before the wind, and I would go down below and man a two man winch with another of the crew!  The rest of the time I was up where I could photograph to my hearts content! What a thrill that was.  He was a funny guy and kept cracking everyone up while sailing.  "You two guys go back where you came from, the pointy end of the boat." which is hysterical for a sailor who had sailed through some terrifying storms and you would think would use the correct nautical terms!  It was one of those unexpected great moments in life.