Tom Cruise Takes On The America's Cup

(CBS SF) - On the ground, he slammed the pedal to the metal for "Days of Thunder." He also took to the air in "Top Gun." Now Tom Cruise's need for speed takes him to the waters of San Francisco Bay. On Sunday, the actor and his son Connor took a ride on one of the fastest racing yachts in the world, during a Bay Area visit to the America's Cup.

Emirates Team New Zealand welcomed father and son aboard the team's VIP boat to view their race against Italy's Luna Rossa team during the Louis Vuitton Cup Race. After the race, the two geared up and boarded Team New Zealand's AC72, their incredibly fast 72-foot racing yacht.

PHOTOS: Tom Cruise Visits The America's Cup

They even took the wheel from skipper Dean Barker. "We were very fortunate to have Tom Cruise and his son jump on board for a ride around San Francisco Bay. They had an absolute ball," said Barker. "We had a nice reach back under the Bay Bridge, so Tom jumped on the handle bars (steering wheel) and did a better job than I did. He had a competition with his son to get the top speed. It was a real boost for the team to have someone like him come along.

WATCH TOM CRUISE & SON AT THE AMERICA'S CUP:

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