Lightning visit to Nautor Swan
Tom Cruise caused quite a stir in the tranquil Finnish coastal town of Jakobstad on Wednesday morning. The Hollywood megastar, who is currently travelling around the world for film premieres of the latest "Mission Impossible" blockbuster ("Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning"), landed in his private jet at nearby Kronoby Airport and then visited the shipyards of Nautor Swan. The regional newspaper Österbottens Tidning published photos of the famous visitor, who flew from the airport to the shipyard in a chartered helicopter - behind the controls himself, of course.
"I don't sail boats, Penny - I land on them"
It is well known that the 60-year-old action film star is passionate about flying aeroplanes and helicopters, parachuting out of planes and jumping off cliffs on motorbikes; the fact that he loves sailing is new. In the course of his career, he has had a few touchpoints with sailing yachts, including in the blockbuster "Top Gun - Maverick" (2022), in which he sails with actress Jennifer Connelly (Penny) in a strong breeze on a J/125 off San Francisco. Tom Cruise as fighter pilot Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell skilfully plays the sailing novice and responds to the skipper's request to reef with the quote: "I don't sail boats, Penny - I land on them".
Swan flagship is called "Be Cool"
This is likely to change soon. Over the past few months, the industry has been rumouring that Cruise's new flagship, the 38.98 metre long Swan 128 would have ordered. This is considered unlikely, as there was already a Swan 98 with the same name ("BeCool" - now "Honey Rider") and logo, sailing under the British flag and moored in Porto Cervo. The connection seemed particularly fitting thanks to the yacht's name, which is unmistakably based on the 2005 film "Be Cool - Everyone's looking for the next big hit". The film stars Uma Thurman and Cruise's colleague John Travolta.
Construction number 1 of the Swan 108 is for sale
In addition to the series models Swan 51, 55 and 58, six maxi yachts are currently under construction at Nautor Swan, including a Swan 80, a 98, another 128 and Tom Cruise's 108. The detailed yacht portrait of construction number 1 of the Swan 108 "Fancy" can be found here. The yacht, which was delivered in 2023, is currently available for 18.5 million euros for sale.
It will now be interesting to see what Cruise will call his new 36-metre sloop. The secret will be revealed at the latest when the ship is launched next spring. The visit to the shipyard lasted just four hours before the private jet took to the skies again. When asked by a reporter from Svenska Yle what he thought of his new boat, the sporty film star replied succinctly but enthusiastically: "Beautiful!"
