European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 20, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse Tuesday september 20, 1977 the stars and stripes Page 21 . Sweeps America s cup series by John Nelson Newport . A Ted Turner whose chinese Fortune cookie once predicted a very precious Possession will soon be yours skippered courageous to Victory Over Australia sunday and successfully completed the 23rd defense of the America s cup. The Victory giving Turner a four race sweep of Australia in their Best of seven series put Turner a seemingly unlikely candidate for the Honor in the company of yachting s elite. Turner and courageous won by 2 min utes 25 seconds to Complete a four race sweep of Australia for the 128-year-old trophy joining winning Skippers Harold s. Vanderbilt Emil Mosbacher jr., Bob Bavier Bill picker and Ted Hood. Two bottles of rum Turner who had not quite adapted to solid ground when he listed into the news conference sat Down at the press table and plunked two bottles of rum Down in front of him. A photographer removed the bottles and sat them in front of the table but the news conference was interrupted briefly when Turner owner of baseball s Atlanta braves went under the table after them. I just wished my Good friends from Australia could play baseball like the los Angeles dodgers Turner said. I just want to say i have never raced against such Good sportsmen As my friends from both Crews were greeted at the docks by hundreds of Spectator boats and people crowding along the Shore. Horns sounded cannons fired and the coast guard fire boats were spraying water everywhere. I think everyone who watched these races can appreciate How hard we tried said Australia Syndicate head Alan Bond. I think the credit goes to Turner but the Honor and gallantry has to go to Noel Globins skipper of Australia improved Over summer Bond said that both boats had improved Over the summer but i think we Veim proved enough to Challenge in 1980. You can rest assured Well give you a the Start where most match races Are won or lost was called even but Turner had put courageous the 1974 defender about 50 Yards to Windward of Australia in the favored position. Picking up a wind shift at the end of the first leg As he has done so unerringly throughout the series Turner turned a 12-boat length Lead to 44 seconds. On the fourth leg of the 24.3-mile, six leg course Turner just sailed away to a 2 11 Lead using both Superior boat Speed and sails in 10-12 knot winds. Called rival a liar throughout the series has talked his Way into one controversy after another. He called rival skipper Lowell North of enter prise a liar for not making him sails. He said North and his sail making partner John Marshall deserved to starve. His vocal gymnastics made the stodgy new York York yacht club sponsors of the world s oldest International sports event shudder. But his almost flawless tactics which gave him defense honors Over the new 12 meter yachts Independence and enter prise made him the Only Choice. He did t let the new York yacht club Down. Although Australia seemed to show improvement with each race courageous turned the series into a Parade Turner Okker Riessen team wins pro doubles title Houston a third seeded Tom Okker of the Netherlands and Marty Ries St n of Amelia Island fla., struggled through five sets before they managed a 3 a 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 Victory Over Tim and Lom Gullikson of Lacrosse wis., saturday for the . Pro doubles Tennis Champion ship. Okker and Riessen split $30,000 for their efforts while the unseeded Gullikson twins divided the $15,000 second place Check at be Woodlands. Leading and Robins following. Courageous won the first race by 1 48, the second by 1 03 and the third by 2 32. The second race was by far the Best showing by the austra lians but they had too far to go in too Short time. And maybe it was in the stars for Turner who piloted the slow defense candidate Mariner in 1974, to finally win the big one. While having dinner in a Broadway restaurant in new York Early in september Turner revealed that he had picked a Chi Nese Fortune cookie that predicted he would win a precious Possession. Turner knew what it meant. The America s cup was about the Only sailing trophy the 38-year-old Turner had not earned already. He won the Southern Ocean racing championship in 1966, the North american flying dutchman title in 1965 and the world Ocean racing title in 1972. He is a three time Winner of the . 5.5-meter title he won the scandinavian Gold cup twice and he has been named Yachtsman of the year two times. Australia kept courageous within strik ing distance through the first three legs trailing by 48 seconds at the second Mark and 56 at the third Mark. But on the fourth leg Turner made his move. It was basically a matter of boat Speed sails and Rig Ging. Australia s sails especially its main appeared slightly distorted As its Mast Bent in the wind while courageous sails showed barely a wrinkle. When courageous rounded the fourth Mark Australia still had one tack left before it could Lay theline. On the fifth leg a run courageous switched from its Green and White Spinnaker to a Blue and White Chute on loan from Ted Hood who had skippered Independence. Turner took a conservative line to the Mark making sure he was Between Australia and the buoy. He rounded the fifth buoy 2 35 in the Lead and headed homeward on the sixth leg the leg that would finally give Turner the title he had worked so hard to gain. Turner s first involvement with the America s cup at Mariner s Helm was an embarrassment and Turner once said that the Crew wanted to come Back and prove they weren t a Bunch of now Turner has what he Calls the Best America s cup Crew Ever put together and no one is disputing him very loudly. They have been together since june when the american trials began while All the other Crews made several changes. In the end it was that Crew and Turner s sails that proved the difference and thai was much As everyone had expected since courageous and Australia Are almost Iden tical beneath the water. Under the listing of America s cup win ners the Book will read "1977, courageous but those who saw it will remember the Winner As Ted Turner. After All a Spectator said if it weren t for Ted Turner this would just be another America s the deep six Ted Turner Captain of the courageous is tossed into Newport ., Harbor by members of his Crew after sweeping the America s cup series. A photo capt. Ted cup Victory establishes Turners world s no. J Yachtsman by Wil Grimsley Newport . A flamboyant Ted Turner is never at a loss for words so it was t surprising that when asked which of his two toys baseball or yacht racing he liked Best he should come up with a ready two Are not mutually exclusive replied the Atlanta sportsman. You can appreciate a Good symphony and at the same time enjoy making love to your wife. Of course for an owner it is More fun to be a player to be personally and physically involved instead of looking on in the Turner the year 1977 has been the Best and the worst of two worlds. Early in the year As owner of the Atlanta baseball club he Drew a year s suspension for Tam Pering. Then his braves proceeded to slump into the National league West s cellar one of the most inept teams in All the water it has been entirely differ ent. As one of the most astute sailors in the world he took a second hand boat courageous and skippered it to summer Victo Ries Over the Enterprise and Independence. Now with an impressive 4-0 sweep Over Australia in the America s cup series he has establishing himself As the world s no. 1 represents one of the most unusual paradoxes in sports and one of the most fascinating. Thirty eight years old Rich Hollywood handsome unpredictably outspoken Turner is one of the free spirits of our times. He has charmed this barnacle old sea Side resort right out of its rubber Soled sneakers. During the series newsmen suffering through tedious six hour races could hardly wait for the Post race interviews when Turner walked in jauntily lit up an inevitable Cigar and started dropping his jagged Needles. Anti establishment he seemed to get pleasure out of ruffling the starched shirts of the new York yacht club just As he Levels barbs at baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn. Remarking that Kuhn had been invited to attend the races he added i Hope somebody pushes him in the water oops i did t mean when the second race on thursday a sure courageous Victory was voided be cause it failed to meet the time limit he said the governor of Rhode Island asked me to let the races last As Long As possible it s Good for then he added did you Ever see 11 grown men cry there s a Little bit of Muhammad Ali s mischief and showboat ism in him. But there s nothing Flaky about his sailing. He showed his disdain for fixed Stan Dards when he was slapped with a suspension earlier this year for trying to lure outfielder Gary Matthews from san fran Cisco. He eventually landed Matthews. It happened when i had six vodkas he apologized. Then addressing himself to some of his other Diamond offences headed if i m going to lose $2 million in base Ball i Don t see Why i can t make it More fun. There should be less jealousy and hatred. Besides it s just a kid s game. Why Don t these grown men become Law yers or doctors trying to interview the courageous Cap Tain during his Early morning stroll from his White mansion on Bellevue Avenue to the docks was like catching a Tornado in paper bag. He was constantly in motion greeting friends and strangers signing autographs jabbering away spitting tobacco juice in paper Coffee cup. Is he elated Over his America s cup Success All glory is fleeting he said but it s better to be a has been than a never what Rowback to work. I be got to get those braves out of the
