Carl Helfrich, 70, winning sailor, friend of Ted Turner

Carl Paxon “Bunky” Helfrich was an architect, an accomplished yachtsman and a “CNN Original,” an executive at Turner Broadcasting System Inc., in the early days of the Atlanta-based news network.

Mr. Helfrich developed the open newsroom concept for CNN — the camera view of reporters and editors gathering news behind an anchor — which has been widely imitated.

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Family

Bunky Helfrich on Ted Turner’s yacht, the Courageous: He equated winning the America’s Cup to winning the World Series.

Mr. Helfrich was outgoing and always seemed to have a smile on his face, friends say. But he was happiest when he was sailing, something he loved to do since he was a boy in Savannah, they said.

A close friend of CNN founder Ted Turner, Mr. Helfrich sailed with Mr. Turner aboard his many yachts. He was a member of Mr. Turner’s crew on the Courageous, which won the America’s Cup in 1977.

In an interview Mr. Helfrich gave last year for a reunion of the Courageous crew, he said winning the America’s Cup “was the greatest sailing moment of my career . … It was an unbelievable experience. I liken it to winning the World Series.”

Mr. Helfrich, 70, died of leukemia Wednesday at his home on Hilton Head Island, S.C., said his wife, Andrea Helfrich. The memorial service will be 3 p.m. Monday at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church on Hilton Head Island. Fox & Weeks funeral home in Savannah is in charge of arrangements.

“Bunky was one of those larger-than-life characters. He was somebody who always created a presence,” said Terry McGuirk, chairman and CEO of the Atlanta Braves.

“He had a foghorn voice, Rhett Butler kind of good looks and was magnetic socially,” Mr. McGuirk said. “He’s got a lot of friends in the Southeast and around the world.”

Many of those friends, such as Mr. Turner, shared his love of sailing.

“He was a lifelong friend and fellow crew mate,” Mr. Turner said in an e-mail. “We raced and worked together for many years. Bunky was a great husband and father, too. We will sorely miss him.”

Professionally, Mr. Helfrich was unfailingly cheerful, said Paul Beckham, chairman of the public relations firm Hope-Beckham and a former colleague.

“He was one of the most pleasant guys to be around. He was always trying to work out problems people might have,” Mr. Beckham said.

Mr. Helfrich was born in Atlanta, where he acquired the nickname “Bunky,” said his wife.

“His family lived on Northside Drive,” she said. “That was considered so far out at the time, he was just a little country bumpkin.”

The family moved to Savannah when Mr. Helfrich was in third grade. The historic seaport city is where he first became interested in architecture and sailing.

One of his classmates at Savannah High was Taz Anderson, who went on to became a pro football player and now owns a real estate firm in Atlanta. Mr. Helfrich was an all-around athlete who played quarterback on the high school football team, Mr. Anderson said.

Mr. Helfrich had to give up football when he went to Georgia Tech because the architecture program was so demanding, Mr. Anderson said.

At TBS, Mr. Helfrich oversaw the design and construction of CNN’s original headquarters in Atlanta and the conversion of the Omni complex into CNN Center. He played a key role in the design of the 1996 OIympic stadium and its later conversion to Turner Field, as well as the construction of Philips Arena. He held several titles at Turner Broadcasting, including vice president of planning and development. He also oversaw the design of several of Mr. Turner’s houses.

In addition to his wife, survivors are two daughters, Holley Helfrich and Bernice “Bonnie” Frady, both of Savannah; son Carl Edward “Teddy” Helfrich of Annapolis, Md.; and two grandsons.