Tom Cruise surprised many fans when he cheered on Emirates Team New Zealand in the final race against Italy's Luna Rossa on Sunday afternoon.

After watching the New Zealand sailing team win, Tom and his son Connor jumped onboard the team's AC72 boat and went for a thrilling ride around the San Francisco Bay.

Skipper Dean Barker said the Mission Impossible star was a natural and when the elder Cruise took the helm and sailed under the Bay Bridge, he "did a better job than I did."

"He took tons of pictures with everyone and was nice to everyone there," a source told EnStars. "His son was with him, and they went on the speed boat that chases the America's Cup boat, rather than the luxury viewing vessel. At the end of the race, he got on board the actual race boat and sailed around Alcatraz."

The AC72s are the leading class of racing yachts in the world. Named for their 72-foot length, they are powered by 130-foot (40m) tall wing sails, the equivalent of a 13-story building, and capable of speeds of 44 knots (50 mph).

“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.”

After having a little fun, the father-son duo came back to the Emirates Team New Zealand waka, which has a SKYY bar inside.

"He was charming all the ladies there, taking pictures and chatting with lots of young blonde Kiwi admirers," the source told EnStars, adding that Tom didn't have any cocktails but enjoyed the surrounding company.

Watch video from Tom Cruise's boat ride:

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