Ted Turner: America’s Cup traditionalist believes racing should be in monohulls not catamarans

The 1977 America's Cup winner, Ted Turner, says that while he has "nothing against catamarans", the competition "started in monohulls and match racing"

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America’s Cup winner, Ted Turner, has spoken of his disappointment that the competition is now raced in catamarans rather than monohulls.

In an interview with Newsday, Turner admitted he didn’t like the change.

“I’m a traditionalist,” he told the Long Island and New York City newspaper.

“Catamarans have a place in racing. I have nothing against catamarans . . . But I feel that the America’s Cup started in monohulls and match racing, and that’s what it was. But that’s just me. Everybody’s entitled to their own opinions. I’m not hurting anybody,” added Turner.

The 1977 America’s Cup winner was speaking after receiving a medal from the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) earlier this week.

Turner beat Australia 40 years ago in his 12-metre yacht, Courageous.

He did it in four straight wins, bringing home the ‘Auld Mug’ for America and the NYYC.

 

A tweet by 1977 America's Cup winner Ted Turner

Ted Turner posted this photo on Twitter after receiving the award

His boat was very different to the America’s Cup class catamarans that are currently foiling and reaching speeds in excess for 40-knots in Bermuda.

Many of Turner’s Courageous crew were among the guests at the club during the presentation of the Commodore Medal.

Ted Turner told Newsday that his days as a sailor are now over.

“I get out on the water, but I’m fishing,” he said.

“I’m a fly fisherman. Sailing was a lot of work. I’m almost 80. The 11-or 12-man crew, that’s a big group to get together every weekend to go sailing, so it is a real challenge.”

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“I admire the people that are doing it, but I couldn’t do it. Nobody in their late 70s is out there on those boats anyway. They’re all younger because it takes a lot of physical exertion,” added the CNN founder.

The evening also saw the screening of an NBC documentary about Ted Turner’s victory in 1977.

Called ‘Courageous’ after his boat, it will be screened on NBC on 17 June at 2.30pm, after the first race in the final America’s Cup Match.

Ted Turner, the last amateur skipper to win the ‘Auld Mug’, was inducted into the America’s Cup Hall of Fame in 1993.

According to the Herreshoff Marine Museum  where the hall of fame is housed, Turner is credited with “drawing more attention to America’s Cup competition than any other person in the long history of the Cup”.