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Top Gun: Maverick Finally Showcases The New J/125 Sailing Yacht

The long-awaited trailer for Top Gun: Maverick was released this week, giving fans a first look at the long-awaited sequel to the beloved 1980s blockbuster. One of the most highly anticipated scenes in the trailer is the sailing yacht scene, which features Tom Cruise and Jennifer Connolly.

It's no surprise that the scene was filmed on a J/125 sailing yacht, as the J/Boats shipyard is known for its high-performance racing yachts. The J/125 is a popular model among racing sailors and has been featured in several major films and TV shows.

This article takes a closer look at the Top Gun: Maverick sailing yacht scene and the J/125 yacht that was used in the filming.

What made the Top Gun: Maverick sailing yacht scene so iconic?

The sailing yacht scene in Top Gun: Maverick is one of the most iconic scenes in the movie. It's a beautiful, serene moment that starkly contrasts with the rest of the film, which is full of high-octane action and adventure.

But what makes this scene so iconic? Is it the beautiful location? The amazing cinematography? The fact that it's such a change of pace from the rest of the movie?

We believe it's all of these factors and more. The sailing yacht scene in Top Gun: Maverick is an iconic scene because it's a perfect example of how to use all the elements of cinema to create a truly memorable moment.

The J/125 sailing yacht that was used in the filming of Top Gun: Maverick.

The J/125 sailing yacht is a state-of-the-art vessel that was used in the filming of the 2020 movie Top Gun: Maverick. The yacht, which businessman John Pompa owns, was featured in a key scene in the film where it is seen sailing past the Golden Gate Bridge.  

The J/125 is a high-performance sailing yacht that is designed for long-distance cruising. It is equipped with a variety of features that make it ideal for sailing in rough conditions, such as a keel-stepped mast and a carbon fiber hull. The yacht also has a large onboard water tank that allows it to go for long periods of time without having to stop for fresh water.

How the J/125 yacht helped make the scene of Top Gun: Maverik so memorable.

In the film Top Gun: Maverick, the J/125 yacht plays a pivotal role in the iconic beach scene with Tom Cruise and Jennifer Connolly. The yacht, which is owned by Connolly's character, is central to the scene in which Cruise's character meets Connolly's.

The J/125 is a popular yacht among filmmakers due to its sleek design and its ability to turn on a dime. This makes it perfect for action scenes like the one in Top Gun: Maverick.

But the J/125 isn't just a pretty face. It's also a highly functional yacht that can accommodate several guests. This makes it perfect for entertaining.

Why the J/125 yacht is the perfect choice for a sailing adventure?

The J/125 yacht is the perfect choice for those looking for an exceptional sailing experience. This amazing yacht offers superb performance, unmatched comfort, and stunning good looks. Here are just a few of the reasons why the J/125 is the ideal choice for your next sailing adventure.

The J/125's extraordinary stability index of 143 degrees, with a stability curve ratio of positive to negative areas of 12.5:1, is what creates a sense of solidity and power when sailing it. This greater stability is paired with a balanced hull-form that has the right amount of reserve buoyancy forward. This makes the J/125 capable of safer and more controllable high-speed planing offshore in large waves. Also, the average helmsperson can maintain peak performance for sustained periods of time because the hull-form provides a wider steering groove upwind.

The J/125 is manufactured to ABS offshore standards by TPI Composites using the SCRIMP resin-infusion process. The US Naval Surface Warfare Center at Carderock, MD found that the properties of laminates created by TPI's patented SCRIMP resin-infusion process are better than the low-energy pre-pregs used by many custom boat shops--they're even twice as strong as hand lay-ups.

J/125 weighs in at 2700 pounds, which is 1500-2500 pounds lighter than its competitor designs, after subtracting the weight of the keel and adding 1000 pounds for the rig, engine, and hardware. This is not only due to the J/125's narrower beam. The Hull & Deck Laminate Design of the J/125 is stronger for its weight than E-Glass/epoxy laminates using slit CoreCell foam. J/125 uses epoxy with a combination Kevlar & E-Glass for the outer skin with two layers of carbon fiber (bi-axial & unidirectional) for the inner skin. The elevated strength of these exotic materials allows for a thinner, lighter skin than the equivalent E-Glass structure.

It's no surprise that the scene was filmed on a J/125 sailing yacht, as the J/Boats shipyard is known for its high-performance racing yachts. The J/125 is a popular model among racing sailors and has been featured in several major films and TV shows. In fact, the J/125 was also used in the film The World's End, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. The J/125 is the perfect boat for cruising or racing, and it's no wonder that it was chosen for the Top Gun: Maverick film.

If you're looking for a high-performance sailing yacht, the J/125 is a perfect choice. Whether you're interested in racing or cruising, the J/125 will provide you with an amazing experience.

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Screen Rant

Top gun 2's challenging boat scene detailed by maverick director.

Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski explained the difficult process of shooting the sailing boat scene between Maverick and Penny Benjamin.

Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski details the challenges of shooting Maverick and Penny's sailing scene. In between all the high-flying action of the Top Gun sequel, Tom Cruise's rebellious pilot strikes up a romance with Penny (Jennifer Connelly), an admiral's daughter who runs a bar near the Navy flight school. During one sweet moment, Maverick joins Penny out on the open water as she steers her boat back home amid rollicking waves.

In a recent interview with Vulture , Kosinski reiterates that one of the most challenging scenes he shot wasn't one of the aerial sequences - even if he describes some planning challenges for the third act - but Top Gun: Maverick 's sailing boat moment between Maverick and Penny. At first describing how windy it was when they shot the scene in San Francisco, Kosinski also details the tricky logistics of having a camera in a Technocrane while strong winds are pushing a boat. The director says:

I mean, the hardest one, which is one that you wouldn’t think, was actually the sailing sequence. Because there was so much out of our control. I had to shoot that scene three times in three different places before we got it. I shot it off the coast of Los Angeles — there was no wind. Then two weeks later, I shot it off the coast of San Diego — there was no wind. Then we took the whole scene and crew up to San Francisco — and the wind blew like hell. So what you’re seeing is Tom and Jennifer Connelly on a very, very fast carbon-fiber racing boat doing 20, 22 knots. We had an America’s Cup team stuffed into the hull of that thing in case anything went wrong. And Claudio Miranda, the cinematographer, and I are on a boat next to it with a Technocrane. I’m literally holding on to Claudio’s chair for dear life, trying to look at the monitor, and he’s operating the camera. The logistics of being able to pull off a sailing sequence gave me so much more appreciation for … you remember that movie Wind with Matthew Modine and Jennifer Grey? I watch that movie now and go, Holy s--t, how did they do that? This is really, really difficult to pull off. So that was an unexpected challenge that was very different than the aerial stuff. But from an aerial point of view, the third act was a monster of logistics, planning, storyboarding, and working in a naval low-level training range up in the Cascades. So that was an extremely complex sequence to figure out. Mav’s low-level, when he proves that the course can be run in two minutes and 15 seconds, was probably the most extreme thing we shot. Just watching that footage, you can see Tom looking directly into the sheer rock face next to him and seeing the shadow from his own jet about 15 feet away. That tells you how extreme the flying was for that sequence. That was probably the most dangerous thing we did.

Related: Was Jennifer Connelly In The Original Top Gun?

Why Practical Action Was Top Gun: Maverick's Biggest Feat

While many invisible edits snagged Top Gun: Maverick a visual effects nomination at the Oscars, the movie contains numerous practical sequences that add authenticity and tension to the movie. Part of the reason the sailing boat sequence between Maverick and Penny is fun to watch is that it was done practically, and that the actors (and filmmakers) are braving the strong winds for the scene to feel as real as possible. The same can be said for Top Gun: Maverick 's aerial scenes, which required a great deal of preparation ahead of filming.

It's part of the reason why the movie resonated with so much with audiences. Many blockbusters contain plenty of CGI-driven sequences, while Top Gun: Maverick brought back the joys of having action sequences crafted practically. Not every scene is practical, and visual effects enhanced some practical scenes. However, most of Top Gun: Maverick 's stunts were filmed practically with several IMAX cameras inserted inside the fighter jets, which brought a level of realism cinema had been missing.

Top Gun: Maverick not only tells a gripping story and features incredible performances across the board, but its practical action scenes were made to be experienced on the biggest screen possible. Part of the reason why it was so successful in theaters was that it crafted action scenes to enthrall audiences and unite them to witness how great a film can be when it shoots action on camera and with minimal aid to enhance them. It's unclear if Top Gun: Maverick will win any Oscars , but it has already earned acclaim for its dedication to practical filmmaking.

Next: Top Gun 3 Replacing Tom Cruise Is Much Easier Than Mission: Impossible

Source: Vulture

VIDEO: Top Gun: Maverick sailboat scene

Published on May 26th, 2022 by Editor -->

As Scuttlebutt HQ is located in San Diego, CA, this is very much a military town which proved to be a good backdrop for filming the Top Gun movie released in 1986. But the local locations weren’t limited to just the Navy bases for that movie, which is also the case for the sequel Top Gun: Maverick that gets released on May 27, 2022.

However, when they sought out San Diego Bay to film an action scene, nobody told them about the region’s light winds. “We filmed that sequence twice. We filmed it the first time in San Diego, and it was very beautiful,” describes actress Jennifer Connelly. “We got lovely shots, and there were even dolphins swimming alongside us. But Tom (Cruise) said, ‘No, this isn’t fast enough’.”

For the second attempt, somebody did their research and they went to San Francisco where Connelly and Cruise get a real taste of high wind sailing on a J/125.

“It was a very distracting environment,” said Connelly. “It was incredibly windy, with big waves. The boat was at an impossible angle, moving so fast, and we had to play the scene at the same time. I was so paranoid that I was going to forget something with all those distractions. I found myself standing on the coffee table in my living room, practicing with my kids spraying water at me and blowing on me while I ran my lines.”

Connelly shared the story on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and while Cruise is known for doing his own movie stunts, Connelly was pretty stoked to have taken on the role of a sailor. “I love it, it was great, it was amazing,” she said of the experience. “I was taking lessons to prepare for the role, starting in the New York harbor. Kind of like learning how to drive on the Autobahn.”

Tags: Jennifer Connelly , sailing movie , Top Gun

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Top Gun: Maverick Director Reveals The Hardest Scene To Shoot For Tom Cruise’s Sequel, And It Might Surprise You

I remember this moment!

In an age where it’s easier for ever for blockbuster productions to simulate all sorts of things using computer-generated imagery, Top Gun : Maverick prioritized going practical whenever possible by having Tom Cruise and the actor playing his fellow pilots learning how to fly actual jets and taking to the skies. And yet, according to Maverick director Joseph Kosinski , the hardest scene to shoot in the sequel wasn’t anything aircraft-related. Quite the opposite, as it actually involved something that happened on the water.

Those of you who’ve seen Top Gun: Maverick (and if you haven’t, it can be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription ) will remember a moment when Tom Cruise ’s Peter “Maverick” Mitchell joins Jennifer Connelly ’s Penny Benjamin as she sails her boat to the “yard” to get its engine fixed. Maverick may be a whiz when it comes to flying planes, but it’s abundantly clear in this scene that he’s out of his element when traveling across the waves, though Penny does a good job instructing him on what to do. As for why the sailing scene was so challenging to shoot, Joseph Kosinski said the following to Vulture :

I mean, the hardest one, which is one that you wouldn’t think, was actually the sailing sequence. Because there was so much out of our control. I had to shoot that scene three times in three different places before we got it. I shot it off the coast of Los Angeles — there was no wind. Then two weeks later, I shot it off the coast of San Diego — there was no wind. Then we took the whole scene and crew up to San Francisco — and the wind blew like hell. So what you’re seeing is Tom and Jennifer Connelly on a very, very fast carbon-fiber racing boat doing 20, 22 knots. We had an America’s Cup team stuffed into the hull of that thing in case anything went wrong. And Claudio Miranda, the cinematographer, and I are on a boat next to it with a Technocrane. I’m literally holding on to Claudio’s chair for dear life, trying to look at the monitor, and he’s operating the camera.

So this wasn’t just a matter of shooting Tom Cruise and Jennifer Connelly off one area of the California coast over a few takes. Joseph Kosinski and his crew had to shoot this sequence across multiple locations over the span of a few weeks, and throwing in the wind complications and Kosinski himself doing his best just to keep his balance on the other boat, it’s understandable why this was quite the ordeal. The filmmaker continued:

The logistics of being able to pull off a sailing sequence gave me so much more appreciation for … you remember that movie Wind with Matthew Modine and Jennifer Grey? I watch that movie now and go, Holy s--t, how did they do that? This is really, really difficult to pull off. So that was an unexpected challenge that was very different than the aerial stuff. But from an aerial point of view, the third act was a monster of logistics, planning, storyboarding, and working in a naval low-level training range up in the Cascades. So that was an extremely complex sequence to figure out. Mav’s low-level, when he proves that the course can be run in two minutes and 15 seconds, was probably the most extreme thing we shot. Just watching that footage, you can see Tom looking directly into the sheer rock face next to him and seeing the shadow from his own jet about 15 feet away. That tells you how extreme the flying was for that sequence. That was probably the most dangerous thing we did.

Tom Cruise and his fellow actors went through a lot of training to fly in Top Gun: Maverick , so it says a lot that the sailing scene was the most “dangerous” one to shoot. If you need a reminder about how the final product turned out, rewatch it below:

It’s been almost a year since Top Gun: Maverick arrived in theaters and spent much of 2022 as the highest-grossing movie of the year, although Avatar: The Way of Water (which comes out on digital release at the end of March) ultimately surpassed it. Now we’re just a few days away from seeing how Maverick does among the other 2023 Oscar nominees , with the sequel competing in the Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Song, Best Sound, Best Film Editing and Best Visual Effects categories. Maverick producer Jerry Bruckheimer has also shared why he thinks there’s a chance Top Gun 3 could happen , though no discussions have happened with Tom Cruise about that yet.

Find out how Top Gun: Maverick does at the 95th Academy Awards by tuning in to ABC Sunday, March 12 at 8 pm ET. After that, Tom Cruise can next be seen on the big screen in Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning: Part One , which opens on July 14 among the 2023 new movie releases .

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The Top Gun: Maverick Scene That Jennifer Connelly Practiced On Her Living Room Coffee Table

It's been over three decades since "Top Gun," one of Tom Cruise's most iconic films, came out and, finally, its sequel is nearing its release date — " Top Gun: Maverick " will hit theaters on May 27, 2022. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, "Top Gun: Maverick" follows Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Cruise), who is put in charge of training a group of recent graduates for a mission. Amongst the new graduates is Lieutenant Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of Maverick's late best friend, Nick "Goose" Bradshaw (played by Anthony Edwards in the original film). Additionally, Val Kilmer reprises his role as Maverick's former rival, Admiral Tom "Iceman" Kazansky, who is now also an instructor.

Aside from Cruise and Kilmer, the cast of the new film mostly features a slew of fresh faces to the world of "Top Gun," including actors such as Jon Hamm, Ed Harris, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, and Teller. Another vital addition to the cast is Jennifer Connelly , who plays Penny Benjamin, Maverick's new love interest. Penny is a single mother and a bar owner, as well as one of the few characters who isn't in the military — although she is the daughter of a former admiral.

In a recent interview, Connelly opened up about her time filming "Top Gun: Maverick," including a reveal that there was one scene of hers for which she ended up employing a unique rehearsal practice to make sure she got it right.

Connelly practiced a sailing scene on her coffee table

During an interview with Variety , writer Matt Donnelly asked Jennifer Connelly if she appeared in any of the action scenes in "Top Gun: Maverick" given that her character is not in the military. Connelly revealed that she actually has a sailing scene in the film, which proved to be more difficult than expected.

Connelly explained that she was nervous about shooting a scene on a fast-moving boat in windy, rough conditions because she was afraid she wouldn't be able to nail her dialogue and blocking amidst all the chaos. Wanting to get it right, Connelly found a clever way to practice at home with the help of her kids. She explained, "I found myself standing on the coffee table in my living room, practicing with my kids spraying water at me and blowing on me while I ran my lines. I have video of it."

Speaking of action scenes, even though Connelly's character isn't in the airforce, the actor did still get her first experience in a P-51 plane while filming the movie — and, more nerve-wracking for her, with aerobatic flying. While on the Graham Norton Show , Connelly detailed the experience, saying, "The P-51 is, like, tiny. The top of the cockpit is right here. My knees are up against his back ... [Cruise says], 'Ever done aerobatic flying before?' I was like, 'Umm,' starting to get nervous, 'No. Why? Will I be doing some?' He's like, 'It's going to be very graceful, very elegant, just some very elegant rolls, you know. It's going to be nice and easy.'"

Late Night Feud

Jennifer connelly on tom cruise’s need for speed in the “top gun: maverick” sailboat scene.

In part two of her interview with Stephen, “Top Gun: Maverick” star Jennifer Connelly shares a clip from the film in which she and Tom Cruise pilot a sailboat at top speed through choppy seas. Watch Jennifer in “Top Gun: Maverick” when it hits theaters this Friday. #Colbert #TopGunMaverick #JenniferConnelly

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THAT was TOPGUN????????????? Please make it stop.

Paul Bethany, her husband- what a nice couple

“Learn to skate on the autobahn?” Strange comment!

Jennifer Connelly you were my childhood crush how are you still so beautiful

She’s the girl who ignored you at the university because you drove a Japanese car.

It has to be so strange having Tom stand on a little set of stairs like puppies use to get up in bed for every scene.

The best decision I ever made in life was investing in stock markets. Trust me it pays a lot. And I’ve come to realize that trading Bitcoin is more profitable than holding it and wait for it to skyrocket.

You can really see how hard Stephen is crushing on her lol. I’ve rarely seen him this suave & laid back. He’s clearly got a thing for the nice Irish girls.

Wish this interview was longer

Is she a vampire? I swear she doesn’t age.

The US flag on the boat was too large and not marine grade. Just a porch flag. No self-respecting boater would use one. Jeez. Hint: a real maritime flag is fastened to the mast with grommets.

It’s hard enough, in this life, to be responsible for yourself, let alone being responsible for others

Piloting a boat, Stephen! Shiver me timbers, what a landlubber!

So sexy it makes me upset….

Feeding American children is just an afterthought to the biden junta..

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And the Oscar goes to ‘Top Gun’... for six minutes of sailing

There is a scene in “Top Gun: Maverick,” the sequel to the 1986 movie that made Tom Cruise a top gun at the box office, that is a thrilling depiction of humans speeding through the glories of the universe. Actually, there are many scenes like that in this marvelously photographed film. Most of them show aircraft streaking through the gorgeous blue yonder, but the one I’m referring to features a sailboat.

Tom Cruise goes sailing with his girlfriend Penny and he is, literally, out of his element. Viewers are meant to see the irony of the guy who is a fearless fighter jock in the sky cowering in the cockpit of a sailboat moving on the water at less than 2% of Mach 1 with a woman at the helm reveling in the breezy conditions.

The setting gives Cruise the opportunity to speak the best line in the film: “I don’t sail boats, Penny, I land on them.”

The scene is fine as part of the story, but where it turns into great stuff is in the photography. Someone behind the cameras must have been a sailor, because he or she got everything right. It was shot on San Francisco Bay and the Bay was fully in character with wind in the upper teens producing a steep chop. The sails are trimmed just right, the boat is lively and fast and throwing spray. The woman driving the boat with a big carbon fiber wheel is in control and in the moment with a look of pure joy.

Then she sets the spinnaker. It’s another opportunity for Cruise to act nervous, but it’s also terrific sailing footage with the boat accelerating when the big blue kite fills, sort of in the nature of a fighter aircraft being slingshotted off a carrier deck.

The boat plays its part perfectly. It’s a J/125 named Rufless borrowed from the owner for the movie. The 41-footer carries a monster asymmetrical spinnaker set on its long sprit and typically gives a thrilling ride in conditions like those in the film.

I rate the six minutes of sailing footage in “Top Gun” as best sailing scene ever in a Hollywood movie. I realize the bar is low, but this film cleared it with airspace to spare.

Cruise’s performance got me wondering how many movie stars are sailors. He makes no claim to be, nor, surprisingly, does Jennifer Connelly, the actress who looks so skilled as the sailboat skipper in the movie. Telling an interviewer the scene made her “paranoid,” she added, “It was incredibly windy, with big waves. The boat was at an impossible angle, moving so fast.” Maybe there was a sailing instructor hiding below on the J/125 giving hand signals to the helmsperson.

I don’t have any inside info on the off-screen pastimes of movie stars, but I do know that the actor Morgan Freeman is an experienced sailor who has frequently been spotted on his Shannon 43 in the BVI and the Leeward Islands.

It’s well known, of course, that Jimmy Buffett is a sailor, and if you stretch the definition of movie star a bit he might qualify—he’s had a few cameo film roles. His latest boat, an innovative, high-performance 50-foot cruising boat painted turquoise, had the honor of being featured on the cover of SAILING .

After that, we have to search film and sailing history for a legitimate movie star sailor, and there we find Humphrey Bogart, who was probably the most dedicated and skilled sailing yachtsman of any celebrity.

Bogart owned the 55-foot Santana , an Olin Stephens-designed schooner that was built for an oil magnate and was one of the great yachts of its era. After Bogart bought Santana in 1939, sailing the beautiful mahogany-planked boat with its enormous spread of sail became his passion. His son Stephen Bogart wrote, “While most people know that Bogie and Lauren Bacall had a great love affair, probably fewer know about my father’s other great love—sailing. Specifically, it was with his 55-foot sailing yacht Santana . The sea was my father’s sanctuary.”

Bogart spent a lot of time on the water, cruising along the California coast and even racing. He sailed Santana in the 1948 Ensenada race (with Lauren Bacall in the crew) and won a trophy. His frequent daysailing outings on Santana often had an all-star guest list featuring the likes of Katherine Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Ingrid Bergman, David Niven and Richard Burton.

Santana , rigged as both a schooner and a yawl, has had nine owners since Bogart, and after an extensive rebuild in 2016 is still gracing southern California waters with its classical beauty.

The man I nominate as the best pure sailor among famed movie actors once sailed with Bogart on Santana . Surely, he was the most experienced hand onboard. That was Sterling Hayden.

Hayden went to sea as a teenager in the Great Depression and stayed eight years as a deckhand on full-rigged ships and mate on Grand Banks schooners. He was the navigator on the schooner Gertrude L. Thebaud in its epic race against the famous Bluenose for the 1938 Fisherman’s Cup.

When only 22 years old, he sailed as captain on a 89-foot brigantine on a delivery to the South Pacific. Newspaper stories about the voyage and photos of the handsome sailor got the attention of movie producers. Soon he was making movies and making trouble as a typical Hollywood bad boy. 

Abruptly, apparently fed up with his self-indulgent life, he quit the movies and bummed around long enough to become divorced and broke. Then his story gets really interesting.

He had long owned an old 95-foot pilot schooner named Wanderer , and in 1959 he sailed away in the brawny 100-ton vessel, bound for Tahiti with his four children and a motley crew acquired through newspaper ads. The voyage resulted in a book titled Wanderer . It’s an autobiography that is an adventure to read as it whirls through the adventures and misadventures of a troubled life overflowing with action and incident—and lots of sailing.

Of contemporary movie stars, there is one I am certain is not a sailor. That’s Robert Redford, who if he knew anything about sailing could not in good conscience have allowed himself to act in the movie “All is Lost.” The film tells the desultory story of a lone sailor (Redford is the only actor and the few words he speaks are to himself) who sails his 39-foot sailboat under a perpetual cloud that rains a steady drip of misfortune and finally combines with the sailor’s ineptitude to make a fitting closing scene: Redford’s character escapes his sinking yacht in a life raft and promptly manages to set the raft on fire

To fellow sufferers who sat through the 106 minutes of that dead fish of a sailing movie, I recommend those six sailing minutes in “Top Gun” as the perfect tonic.

Also in Full and By

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Top Sailing – Top Gun: Maverick

Being a lady of a certain age it didn’t take me long to book tickets for the sequel to Top Gun, Top Gun: Maverick . I grew up in the 1980’s along with permed hair, leg warmers and Tom Cruise, so a Top Gun trip back in time was always going to be on the cards.

Cruise reprises his role as ace top gun Navy pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell and that’s about as much as I’m going to tell you about the plot. Cruise does not disappoint and the film has everything the original had, and more, in spades. Fast jets, fast bikes, fast yachts (J/125), an absurd plot involving uranium (a hallmark of most 1980’s action films), leather biker jacket with patches, adrenaline and romance all wrapped up in a cinematic marvel. With cinemas in the UK lurching along since lockdown, we needed a blockbuster to burst onto our screens. Kosinski, Bruckheimer, Cruise et al have achieved this in supersonic style.

Even the sailing scene doesn’t pull any punches with some top sailing. Jennifer Connelly is at the helm of a beautiful J/125, guard rails in the water.  It will quicken the hearts of many sailors watching (the J/125 that is, sorry Jennifer!).  As with most sailing scene’s on the big screen they don’t get it quite right, but I’ll forgive them, the footage is realistic enough even if the skipper’s instructions do seem a little strange.  Seeing Maverick out of his comfort zone on the water provides some comedy gold moments and provides some light relief from the high octane jet fighter sequences. Rumour has it the sailing scene had to be filmed twice. The first time the crew chose San Diego Bay as their backdrop but with light winds common in the bay it was producing too many dolphins and not enough action. A switch to San Francisco provided the more challenging conditions required to satiate Cruise’s need for speed.

Better than the original I would most wholeheartedly recommend Top Gun: Maverick, you’ll leave the cinema/movie theater grinning from ear to ear and wondering whether your finances (and nerve) will run to a vintage Kawasaki GPZ 900!

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Maverick’s Voyage: The Sailboat in Top Gun Maverick Explored

Maverick’s Voyage: The Sailboat in Top Gun Maverick Explored

The History of the Sailboat in Top Gun Maverick: A Detailed Exploration

In the highly anticipated movie Top Gun Maverick, sailing plays a significant role in portraying the essence of adventure and freedom. Although known for its high-octane flying sequences, the film cleverly incorporates a sailboat to further deepen the character development of Maverick. Through the symbolism of the sailboat, the movie pays homage to the rich history and significance of sailing, while offering a unique perspective on Maverick’s journey.

1. The Symbolism of the Sailboat:

• Freedom: The sailboat represents the freedom that Maverick seeks, symbolizing the escape from society’s constraints and the ability to harness the wind’s power to navigate life on his own terms.
• Timelessness: Sailing has a profound historical significance, transcending generations. The sailboat’s presence highlights the continuation of an ancient practice, connecting Maverick’s journey to the timeless pursuit of exploration.
• Self-Reflection: The sailboat becomes a vessel for introspection and personal growth, as the solitude and serenity of the open sea forces Maverick to confront his inner demons and rediscover his true self.

2. Maverick’s Voyage: The Sailboat in Top Gun Maverick Explored ( see table below ):

Analyzing the Design and Features of Maverick’s Sailboat in Top Gun Maverick

When it comes to , there is no shortage of excitement. This sleek vessel seamlessly combines form and function, with its cutting-edge design and state-of-the-art features. Let’s take a closer look at what makes this sailboat a true masterpiece.

1. Streamlined Design

The sailboat boasts a streamlined design that cuts through the water with unparalleled grace. Its elongated hull and tapered bow reduce drag, ensuring maximum efficiency and speed. The sleek lines and smooth finish of the sailboat’s exterior not only enhance its visual appeal but also contribute to its exceptional performance on the open seas.

2. Advanced Technology

Equipped with the latest navigational and sailing technology, Maverick’s sailboat is a marvel of engineering. The onboard computer systems provide precise control, optimizing the sailboat’s performance and responsiveness. Additionally, the advanced weather forecasting capabilities ensure that Maverick can confidently navigate any conditions and stay ahead of the game.

3. Luxurious Interiors

Inside the sailboat, a world of luxury awaits. The spacious cabin features modern amenities and comfortable seating, allowing Maverick and his crew to relax in style during long voyages. The carefully crafted interiors combine elegant design with practicality, creating a tranquil and inviting environment.

Navigating the Realism: How the Sailboat Enhances the Movie’s Authenticity

The sailboat featured in the movie Top Gun Maverick serves as a crucial element in enhancing the film’s authenticity. As the protagonist, Maverick, embarks on a new journey of self-discovery, the sailboat becomes a symbol of his introspection and connection with nature. Its inclusion in the movie adds depth to the storyline and creates a sense of realism that captivates the audience.

1. Seamlessly blending with the environment: The sailboat’s presence on the open waters provides a visually stunning backdrop that complements the movie’s cinematography. It effortlessly blends with the natural surroundings , showcasing the beauty of the ocean and the serenity of sailing. This seamless integration creates a sensory experience for the audience, immersing them in Maverick’s world and making the movie more authentic.

2. Symbolizing freedom and escape: The sailboat in Top Gun Maverick serves as a metaphor for Maverick’s desire to break free from his past and embrace a new beginning. It represents the freedom he seeks and the escape from the pressure and expectations that have defined his life. This symbolism adds depth to his character and enhances the movie’s narrative by highlighting his personal journey towards self-redemption.

Recommendations for Achieving a Similar Sailboat Experience in Real Life

If you’re captivated by the thrill and freedom depicted in movies like “Top Gun Maverick” and aspire to experience the exhilaration of sailing in real life, we’ve got some recommendations to help you embark on your own memorable sailboat adventure. Whether you aim to navigate pristine waters, feel the wind in your hair, or simply relax under the clear blue skies, these tips will guide you towards creating a similar sailboat experience.

• Learn the ropes: Familiarize yourself with the basics of sailing by enrolling in a sailing course. Understanding the terminology, navigation techniques, and safety procedures will be essential for a successful and enjoyable sailboat experience.
• Connecting with sailing communities: Join local sailing clubs or communities to network with experienced sailors. Learning from their wisdom and sharing your passion for sailing can enhance your knowledge and open doors to exciting opportunities such as crewing on sailboats or participating in regattas.

Having a sailboat experience like the one depicted in “Top Gun Maverick” may be a dream, but with the right preparation and mindset, you can come close to experiencing the thrill and freedom it embodies. Remember, safety is paramount, so always adhere to proper precautions, weather conditions, and regulations when setting sail. Enjoy the voyage!

Q: What is the article “Maverick’s Voyage: The Sailboat in Top Gun Maverick Explored” about? A: The article explores the significance of the sailboat featured in the movie Top Gun Maverick and delves into the backstory and details of its inclusion in the film.

Q: What is the sailboat in Top Gun Maverick? A: The sailboat in Top Gun Maverick is an iconic 48-foot racing yacht called the “Maverick.” It plays a crucial role in the movie as a symbol of freedom and escape for the protagonist, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell.

Q: Why is the sailboat important in the movie? A: The sailboat serves as a metaphor for Maverick’s desire to break free from the limitations of his military career and seek solace in the open waters. It signifies his longing for independence, tranquility, and the yearning to escape the daily pressures of his life.

Q: What is the backstory of the sailboat in Top Gun Maverick? A: The sailboat’s backstory revolves around its namesake, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, who acquired it years ago. As a former Navy pilot, Maverick’s ownership of the boat showcases his passion for sailing, which provides him with a sense of liberation and peace amidst the turbulence of his profession.

Q: How does the sailboat enhance the storytelling in the movie? A: The sailboat’s appearance in the film serves as a visual motif to parallel Maverick’s personal journey. It enhances the storytelling by symbolizing his desire for exploration, his pursuit of freedom, and his need to find himself outside the confines of his military life.

Q: Was the sailboat used for real in the movie? A: Yes, the sailboat used in Top Gun Maverick was a real vessel. The filmmakers opted to use an actual sailboat rather than creating a replica or relying on CGI to provide authenticity to the storytelling.

Q: Who were the sailing experts involved in the making of the film? A: The filmmakers brought aboard renowned sailing experts and specialists to ensure accuracy and authenticity in the sailboat scenes. Notably, the production collaborated with professional sailors, racing yacht crews, and sailing consultants to accurately capture the essence of sailing in the movie.

Q: Will the sailboat play a prominent role throughout the movie? A: While the sailboat is significant in delivering a metaphorical message and representing Maverick’s character development, it is not expected to have a prominent role throughout the entire film. Its appearances will likely be strategically placed to complement the plot and reflect Maverick’s emotional state.

Q: What impact is the sailboat likely to have on the audience? A: The sailboat’s role in Top Gun Maverick is expected to evoke a sense of freedom, tranquility, and escapism within the audience. It aims to resonate with the viewers, reminding them of the importance of pursuing their passions and finding solace outside the demanding constraints of everyday life.

Q: Is there a deeper meaning behind the sailboat’s inclusion in the movie? A: Yes, the inclusion of the sailboat carries a deeper meaning beyond the character’s personal journey. It serves as a reflection of the filmmakers’ intention to highlight the significance of finding one’s own path, embracing individuality, and seeking moments of serenity even amidst a fast-paced and turbulent world.

The Conclusion

In conclusion, while the spotlight is often focused on the high-flying action and adrenaline-pumping dogfights that characterize the Top Gun franchise, it is important not to overlook one of the most iconic elements of the upcoming sequel: the sailboat aptly named Maverick. Serving as a representation of the protagonist’s journey towards self-discovery and introspection, the sailboat serves as a metaphorical extension of Maverick’s character itself. With its sleek and elegant design, it symbolizes both freedom and escape, depicting the inevitable clash between the fast-paced world of fighter jets and the serenity of the open sea.

Taking a closer look at the sailboat’s significance, we uncover the delicate balance between the chaos of Maverick’s career and his longing for simplicity and tranquility. Through the sailboat’s presence, audiences are invited to explore Maverick’s internal struggles and the interplay between his responsibilities as a naval aviator and his innate desire for personal fulfillment. The sailboat becomes a vessel, not only in a literal sense but also metaphorically, carrying Maverick through the waves of self-discovery.

To further highlight the sailboat’s importance, its name, Maverick, evokes a sense of independence and rebelliousness. Just as the character Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell has defied the odds and challenged conventions, this sailboat embodies that same spirit. Maverick serves as a constant reminder that even in the face of adversity, one can navigate their own unique path with unwavering determination.

In the upcoming Top Gun Maverick, the sailboat Maverick emerges as a character in its own right, providing not only a scenic backdrop but also a means for deep introspection. Through this exploration, viewers will witness the delicate dance between Maverick’s passion for the skies and his longing for a life less encumbered. As he harnesses the power of the wind, Maverick’s voyage seeks to shed light on the ever-shifting struggle between ambition and inner peace.

As audiences eagerly anticipate the premiere of Top Gun Maverick, the sailboat Maverick stands as an emblem of the film’s central themes. Provoking contemplation and reflection, it serves as a constant reminder that amidst the chaos of life, finding one’s true calling can be as challenging as navigating the stormy seas. With its folds raised and its sails full, Maverick propels us into a captivating journey of self-discovery that promises to captivate and inspire audiences worldwide.

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MAVERICK SAILBOAT

Sailing - Stand-UP - Paddle - windsurfspan>-Swimming !

Here is the ultimate board for your sliding water sports, the Maverick is on the water no matter the weather conditions. Lack of space, get the Maverick. It's easy to store and transport! The Maverick offers one more water activity for clubs, hotels and resorts! Entertaining tender for larger boats.

DINGHY After installing two buoyancies on the sides, putting the mast, rudder and centerboard, the Maverick becomes a small dinghy for one or two people (150 kg max load).
 The hull of 43 kg in polyethylene is solid and maintenance-free. Fast rigging and easy to handle, Maverick will offer discovery of sailing and sliding sensations.

STAND-UP SAILING By removing the buoyancies, you can choose to stand up, play on balance, while having fun regulating the tiller and mainsheet. Stable, you can explore a new way of sailing, with high vision, and atypical displacement. This version is very popular with young sailors who go as far as to surf small waves.

WINDSURFING Equipped with a fin and a short dagger board, Maverick is perfectly suited for learning or rediscovering forgotten sensations. Placed in the middle of the Maverick, you can also board a 2nd person on the front, to watch or walk around.

PADDLE No wind? remove everything, leave the fin and take your paddle to walk around in stand-up paddle. Very stable, Maverick becomes the ideal support for a ride, alone or in pairs. You can take advantage of turquoise water to take a dip and get back on board without difficulty, but also lie down and enjoy the sun...

• Hull length 3.34m
• Hull width (Ex. Tubes) 1.2 m
• Hull width (inc. tubes) 1.31 m
• Hull depth (max) 0.26 m
• Hull weight 43 kg
• P.E shell construction

• Alu Mast: 2 Part
• Boom: Aluminum
• Foils: Aluminum
• Sails: 5.0 m2 or 6.25 m2 - Dacron
• Crew: max 155 kg - 2 people
• 3-layer EVA cockpit - Comfortable grip
• Fin G10 - Glass / Epoxy

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The Family Who Vanished Into the Bush

An abandoned truck appeared on a new zealand beach. a father and three kids were missing. then the story got darker—and stranger..

The waves were already crashing over the Toyota’s hood when they found it.

It was a blustery September Sunday in 2021, and the Hilux pickup sat far down the gray sand in a remote cove on the wild west coast of New Zealand’s North Island. The Māori men who noticed the car live in mobile homes and cabins up by the road, on ancestral land near Kiritehere Beach. The truck was parked below the high-tide line, facing the sea, and was nearly swamped by the waves pummeling the shore. The men found the keys, tucked under the driver’s-side floormat, and backed the car up the beach. They couldn’t help but notice empty child seats strapped into the back. If any kids had gotten close to the sea on a day like this, they were long gone.

The truck, it would turn out, belonged to Tom Phillips, the son of a prominent Pākehā—white—family with a farm nearby in Marokopa. Phillips, 34, spent much of his time on the farm, where he home-schooled his three kids, Jayda, 8, Maverick, 6, and Ember, 5. He’d separated from his wife three years before and had custody of the kids. Locals heard she was down on the South Island, struggling with her own problems.

Now here was his truck, marooned. The next morning, Tom’s brother Ben drove down to the beach. He’d last seen Tom and the kids on Saturday, Sept. 11, when they’d left the farm, heading, everyone thought, back to Ōtorohanga, the inland town where Tom kept a house. Now it was Sept. 13. Ben inspected the Toyota, then called the police.

Soon photos of the missing father and his three smiling children were in every newspaper and on every TV channel in New Zealand. Police and volunteer searchers fanned out over the area, knocking on doors. Helicopters, planes, and heat-detecting drones flew over the deep bush surrounding the beach. Rescue boats and jet skis buzzed through the roaring waves, looking for bodies. On days the sea was calm, swimmers from surf rescue teams explored caves along the shoreline. The local hapū, or Māori clan, cooked hot meals for the searchers in a shed near the beach. Three days into the search, Phillips’ ex-wife released a careful statement through the police, thanking the searchers for their efforts. “We are holding out every hope that my children Jayda, Maverick, and Ember are safe,” she said.

But the stark facts—the lonely car on the beach, the 8-foot waves, Tom and the children vanishing completely—were daunting. “I do fear the worst,” Tom’s sister, Rozzi Pethybridge, told a reporter. “I am worried a rogue wave has caught one of the kids and he’s gone in to save them.” Phillips’ uncle seemed to be hinting at something even darker when he told another reporter that in some ways he hoped it had been a rogue wave: “If something has happened to the children, the best-case scenario is that they were washed out to sea,” he said. “That way it’s an accident.”

September in New Zealand, the height of Southern Hemisphere spring, is whitebaiting season, when locals set up nets at the river mouth to capture the shoals of immature fish headed back to their freshwater home. But during the search operation, authorities placed a rāhui, a ban, on fishing. Some Marokopa residents grumbled about halting what had been a boom season. But others put things in perspective. “That’s the end of the whitebaiting,” one local told a reporter , “but that’s small-time compared with losing a family.”

On social media and on Reddit, observers seized on rumors of a custody dispute and spun out dark theories of an abduction or staged disappearance. Phillips was an experienced bushman, camper, and hunter. In passing, locals told reporters that if Phillips had taken the kids out into the wild for some reason, they were confident he could last for weeks or months out there, even with three children in tow. A week into the search, family members seemed to be pinning their hopes on this idea. “We’re looking on the bright side,” the uncle told Radio New Zealand . “We’re hoping he’s just gone and hidden in the bush.”

After 12 days of active searching, the police stood down . The whitebaiting rāhui was lifted. Emergency services personnel moved out of the Marokopa community building on the banks of the river. Other than the Toyota, not a single sign had been found of the four missing Phillipses. The media continued covering the case, but there wasn’t much to say—everyone understood that until bodies washed up somewhere, it was unlikely there would be any further news.

No one knew that the disappearances were just the beginning of an ordeal that has not yet ended—a case that has only grown stranger and more ominous in the two and a half years since, prompting pleas from family, increasing public astonishment, online speculation, a shocking crime, and a community’s closing ranks around one of its own.

Back in September 2021, the real mystery started when the first one was solved. Because 17 days after they had been reported missing, Tom Phillips and his three children walked through the front door of his parents’ farm.

The Tom Phillips disappearance captivated New Zealand. But the incident never reached the 24/7 fever pitch of blanket coverage that would have characterized the story if it had happened in the United States. In part that’s because there’s no CNN-style 24-hour news channel in New Zealand, though pretty much every outlet in the country sent a reporter to the west coast in hopes of digging something up. But no one had much to say. Phillips’ uncle spoke to press during the search, but other members of the Phillips clan stuck to the farm and stayed away from television cameras. The police delivered a daily briefing most afternoons, which never offered any new information. The children’s mother remained unnamed. Reporters were unable to reveal details of the couple’s custody disputes, because family courts in New Zealand strictly prohibit media from reporting on their proceedings.

Even after Phillips and his children returned, there was no footage of the happy family waving from the front porch, no soft-focus newsmagazine interviews, no morning-show feature. Phillips never spoke to the press. The family issued a statement—“Tom is remorseful, he is humbled, he is gaining an understanding of the horrific ordeal he has put us through”—and Pethybridge gave a brief interview to the New Zealand Herald in which she seemed shell-shocked by the situation. “Hope dwindled and we became more and more resigned and sad,” she said. Now, she added, she could “smile and laugh for the first time in three weeks, and not feel bad if you have a little smile.”

She did not, however, smile once in the entire interview. The family closed ranks, and reporters were stuck combing social media for clues. (“Pethybridge also shared a song titled ‘Hey Brother’ by Swedish DJ Avicci,” one report noted.)

The residents of Marokopa, too, had little to say once the children were safe, one reporter told me. “After he was found, no one wanted to talk,” said Karen Rutherford of Newshub. “He has put people through the wringer, to be honest.” After all, what had all that work been for? They’d served meals to rescuers, opened the community center 24/7. Many residents had tramped along the shoreline, looking for bodies. Even after the police had called off the search, members of the local hapū went out every day. Then it turned out that Phillips simply had not bothered to tell anyone he was taking the children to the deep bush, pitching a tent 15 kilometers south of the beach where his car was found. “He’s done this before. It’s not the first time,” a local farmer said . “We’re glad to have him back, but he should be held accountable. What was he thinking?”

And why had he left the car there, anyway? Though one friend suggested that the pickup had been stolen by joyriding kids, most everyone assumed that Phillips had parked on the beach to throw searchers off the trail. But for what purpose? Some noted Pethybridge’s comment that Phillips was in “a helpless place” and wanted to “clear his head.” A Reddit user mused : “It’s one thing for him wanting to clear his head but what about the kids? Hope they’re OK, might need some therapy stat.” Others leaped in to assure everyone that a trip to the bush was just what any kid needed: “Going camping with dad and forgetting about the rest of the world would be pretty sweet.”

Indeed, there’s a long tradition in New Zealand of valorizing backcountry adventure—getting lost in the bush for a while—shared by parents and children. “It’s a Man Alone thing ,” the Auckland education researcher Stuart McNaughton told me, referring to the 1939 novel by John Mulgan still viewed by many as essential to understanding the “Kiwi character.” “Getting on with stuff, taming a difficult environment, getting hurt in the process.” To many New Zealanders, a proper father figure is a guy who knows how to handle the wilderness, a place where increasingly citified Kiwi kids seem less and less comfortable. McNaughton summarized the attitude: “If they’re gonna have an accident, they’re gonna have an accident—it’ll probably do them good.”

The modern urtext on this subject is Taika Waititi’s 2016 comedy Hunt for the Wilderpeople , still the most successful locally produced film in the nation’s history. In the movie, a troubled Māori kid from the Auckland streets bonds with a brusque Pākehā outdoorsman in the deep bush. The movie’s villain is a maniacal child protection officer who hunts them down—the overweening nanny state, in the flesh. It’s based on a book by the late Barry Crump, famous for his reputation as a rugged bloke; New Zealanders know him best for his long-running ads for the Toyota Hilux ute, the official truck of bushmen—unsurprisingly, the truck Tom Phillips owned and parked on Kiritehere Beach.

After he returned, Phillips was charged with wasting police resources and ordered to appear in court. He was “reckless as to whether wasteful deployment of police resources would result,” the charges read. He “behaved in a manner that was likely to give rise to serious apprehension for the safety of himself, Jayda Phillips, Ember Phillips and Maverick Phillips, knowing that such apprehension would be groundless.” The charges carried a maximum penalty of three months in jail or a $2,000 fine.

In neighborhood Facebook groups and on playgrounds across New Zealand, parents debated the news. How dare this screw-up risk the lives of searchers and terrify his family because he hadn’t bothered to tell anyone where he was going. Shouldn’t he at least pay the government back for what it spent on that search plane? Or: How dare the government charge a parent for going camping with his children! Wasn’t he the kind of throwback dad we didn’t see enough of anymore, as modern kids become coddled and soft?

I was certainly sympathetic to this second argument. I’d taken my own family to New Zealand to live for a period in 2017, specifically to capture that spirit of adventure, something that felt sorely lacking in our suburban American lives. Our daughters—just a little older than Phillips’ kids were when they disappeared—rarely left their comfort zones, and no one we knew let their children roam our neighborhood freely. We hoped that New Zealand might help shake us up. I was no bushman like Tom Phillips, but the four of us did go tramping across graywacke streams, into the forest primeval, even along a remote shore that looked quite a bit like the Marokopa coast. Unlike Phillips, I told my friends where we were going, but still: Were the police really charging this guy for giving his kids what might have been a wondrous adventure?

Reporters, struggling to advance the story , asked experts what they thought about it all. One family lawyer admitted he knew nothing about the children’s custody arrangement but said, “If there was no parenting order, and he was just going on holiday, legally he’s done nothing wrong.” The same outlet asked a “human rights lawyer” what she thought about a parent taking children out into the deep bush without letting anyone know. “It’s not best practice,” she replied, in a tone I could almost hear from the page.

Then, in December, as summer vacation season began, the New Zealand Herald found a Facebook post—seemingly from someone close to the children’s mother—stating that Phillips had once again taken his kids on walkabout. “He notified family of where he was going,” the local police commander said in response. “In terms of current court restrictions of what he can and can’t do, he’s doing nothing wrong.” Commenters online were aghast that the paper had pursued the story . “So this is just literally a man taking his kids camping?” one wrote. “Correct,” replied another. “His ex-missus has gone to NZH and they’ve run with it.”

Phillips’ scheduled court date was Jan. 12, 2022. That morning, reporters packed the tiny wooden courthouse in Te Kūiti, lured by the chance to finally ask questions of the enigmatic father who had made news and driven debate across the country for months. More media spilled onto Queen Street outside, pacing in the warm summer sun.

Tom Phillips never showed up . Appearing via video, his lawyer told the judge that he’d informed his client of the appearance date and never spoken to him again. He also asked to withdraw as counsel in the case.

The judge issued a warrant for Phillips’ arrest. But the police couldn’t locate Phillips or his three children. They had disappeared into the bush. And this time, they didn’t come back.

When I spoke to New Zealanders in the months after the second disappearance of Tom Phillips, it was clear that some in the country still viewed him as a kind of quirky folk hero who’d taken his kids out into the wilderness to avoid the oppressive, overreaching government. “There was a lot of talk like that,” said Max Baxter, the mayor of Ōtorohanga, where Phillips’ house sat empty, weeds growing over his fence. “He felt that his personal protection of the children was paramount, and the result was that he was opening them up to experiences that kids nowadays don’t get. He’s teaching them to be bushmen.” He laughed. “My grown children probably couldn’t survive two weeks in the bush!”

“A lot of people are like, ‘Leave him alone, those kids are probably having the time of their lives,’ ” said Karen Rutherford, the New Zealand reporter who got the only on-camera interview with Phillips’ ex-wife. But others, she told me, felt that “now he’s skipped court he’s stuffed all his chances of being a good dad.”

In the United States, I felt my admiration of Phillips wash away like the road to Marokopa as heavy rains swept through the region . Was he really hiding his kids in the bush during this kind of weather? The children’s mother made a public appeal for assistance in May, as New Zealand winter approached. Other relatives on the mother’s side launched an online petition urging police to do more. They complained that Phillips’ parents were refusing to let anyone onto their enormous Marokopa compound to search the wilderness around the farm—or the baches, the guesthouses the family used to rent out to tourists.

The Phillips family remained silent objects of fascination for the news media. On the day of Phillips’ courthouse no-show, his mother had told reporters assembled outside the gates of the family farm, “I am trespassing all media from this property.” According to one outlet, asked if she knew where her son was, “Julia Phillips simply answered with a shrug and a smile.”

“They’re real sort of rugged, coast-y people who don’t come into town much,” a local reporter told me. “They’re kind of unusual. You’d call them rednecks, I think.” (Being “coastal” has a very different connotation in New Zealand than it does in the U.S.) Tony Wall, a reporter for the newsmagazine Stuff, told me that Phillips’ parents have been “very uncooperative. If you read between the lines, it definitely seems like they know something but they’re not telling us.”

Someone, everybody assumed, was shopping for supplies and ferrying them out to Phillips, wherever he was hiding out. “It’s almost unfathomable to think a father could survive with three small children without someone buying them supplies,” Baxter told me. “But what’s the endgame? I’m looking out my window now, and it’s pouring down rain.”

The lack of urgency on the part of Waikato police was often commented upon. “It’s very strange,” one reporter who’s been covering the case said. “The cops are not pouring any resources into looking for him and those children. I think they are of the view that he’s not going to hurt them and he’ll eventually come out.” The department responded to press requests with a not-particularly-inspiring statement: “Police continue to make enquiries to establish the whereabouts of Tom Phillips, who we believe is currently with his three children. While Police understand the ongoing interest in this matter, we will not be disclosing the details of the enquiries that are under way.”

Whatever enquiries were under way, that cold and wet winter passed with no sign of Tom Phillips. As 2022 turned into 2023, Phillips and his children had been missing without a trace for more than a year. Then came the bank robbery.

The two figures were dressed in all black—motorcycle helmets, puffer jackets, and boots—when they walked into the ANZ bank branch less than half a mile from the courthouse in Te Kūiti, just before noon on May 16, 2023. When the bank’s anxious staff asked them to take their helmets off, the pair displayed guns and demanded money. Tellers quickly gave them cash and, within moments, the pair ran out the front door.

As the robbers hurried down Rora Street, one witness later said they were dropping cash out of their pockets, “heaps of $50 notes.” The street was strewn with money. The confused passerby asked one of them, a slight figure whom they described as “a girl,” if she needed help picking up the money. Up ahead, the girl’s companion—a man, it seemed—turned back to look at what was happening. Right then, he was tackled to the ground by the owner of the SuperValue supermarket they’d been hurrying past.

Suddenly, the girl brandished her gun. The passerby backed away. Someone called, “Fire the gun!” No one’s quite clear who did what, or whom they were aiming at, but someone did fire, more than once. The passerby froze in their tracks, and the supermarket owner retreated.

The robbers ran past a vape shop and around a corner to a parking lot, where they climbed onto a motorbike and rode off to the north. Behind them, bank notes littered the pavement, 20s and 50s—as much as $1,000, one witness estimated.

The armed robbery shocked the town, which bills itself as the nation’s sheepshearing capital. A week later, the robbery led a Waikato Times feature about growing youth crime concerns in Te Kūiti, full of nervous quotes from residents and shop owners about meth, burglary, and car thefts broadcast on TikTok.

Yet on the subject of the bank robbery itself, one Maōri warden had only to say that he reckoned locals already knew who did it. It wasn’t some wayward Te Kūiti youth or a more organized criminal element. Even in those early days, speculation was running rampant among residents that the bank robbers were, in fact, Tom Phillips—and one of his children.

It took four months for police to officially name Phillips for the crime, charging him with aggravated robbery, aggravated wounding, and unlawful possession of a firearm. They believe that he was the larger of the two robbers, the one who seemed to be leading things, and have not identified the second, smaller robber, other than to say that they think she is “female.” At the time of the robbery, Jayda was 10.

The September 2023 charges in the Wild West–style bank robbery—guns blazing, bank notes blowing in the wind—eliminated any residual goodwill Phillips had accumulated in his long months on the run. They capped off an eventful winter, Phillips’ second on the run with his children.

The month before, Phillips had stolen a truck—naturally, a Toyota Hilux—and driven to Hamilton, the biggest city in the Waikato region, about 40 miles north of Ōtorohanga. An acquaintance recognized him in the parking lot of Bunnings, a Home Depot–type home improvement store, where Phillips, wearing a surgical mask and a woolen hat, used a large amount of cash to buy headlamps, batteries, seedlings, buckets, and gumboots.

That evening, Phillips got into an altercation on a road about an hour up the coast from Marokopa. The owner of the Hilux—who had also realized that winter clothing had been stolen from his property—fought with Phillips, then chased him along the winding highway, reportedly attempting to run him off the road. Eventually multiple vehicles were pursuing Phillips, who switched off the Hilux’s headlights and turned sharply into the parking lot of the Te Kauri Lodge, driving through a gate and into a paddock. “He went in there and he hid,” a lodge custodian told Radio New Zealand . “These fullahs drove straight past.” The police sent out a search helicopter, to no avail. A few days later, the Hilux was found deep in the undergrowth, about 25 meters off Marokopa Road, not far from the Phillips farm.

A few weeks later, a private investigator—he tells reporters he “follows the case on his own time”—tipped off Tony Wall, the reporter at Stuff, that the property to which the Hilux was returned had hosted Phillips for a visit the year before. (The P.I. says he reported the sighting to the police but nothing came of it.) According to an informant, Phillips had been receiving help from a network of local residents “since day one.”

Wall chronicled his visit to the steep, densely wooded property near Ōtorohanga in a hair-raising story published last August . A neighbor, who was reportedly also present when Phillips visited the property in 2022, launched into a coy, taunting conversation about the disappearance. “I can’t say if I have or haven’t seen him in the last few years,” the man said. “It’s like a good game of hide-and-go-seek. He’s fucking good at it. Never, ever play hide-and-go-seek with him because you’ll give up, and he won’t come out.” When Wall asked the man how someone like Phillips could simply vanish, the man scoffed. “It’s easy in New Zealand. The justice system is shit, the court system is shit, the police are shit, the media is shit. That’s the facts of it.”

As Wall drove away, his car was overtaken by two other drivers, who boxed him in and forced him to pull over to the side of the road. One of the vehicles was driven by the owner of the stolen Hilux, who accused Wall of “snooping around” and “causing havoc.” “You’re in the wrong fucking place for this, man,” he said. “You want to come and harass us out here, on my own turf?” He tried to force open Wall’s car door, telling him, “I’m gonna fuck you up, mate.”

Wall finally managed to drive away, but the ute’s owner had one last thing to say. “You’re fucking lucky we’re letting you out of here, cunt. You want the truth about the whole fucking scenario, mate, you’d better be on your game, ’cause you’re pushing shit uphill now.”

After the police named Phillips in the bank robbery, residents phoned in more than a dozen sightings, but the police could never seem to catch him. Late one night in November, Phillips and one of his children rode a stolen quad bike to the town of Piopio and smashed the window of a superette in an attempted burglary, police say. Security footage showed a pair dressed in full camo gear approaching the store’s camera with a spray can. When an alarm sounded, they fled south.

This January, the two-year anniversary of Phillips’ second flight passed with just another wan police announcement—this time that they had narrowed Phillips’ hiding place to the Marokopa area, a development that surprised absolutely no one who’s been following the case. Yet I feel for the police, who are looking in an area spanning hundreds of square miles, where a number of residents clearly still have no desire to share information with them. (The owner of the stolen Hilux—a guy who disliked Phillips enough that he tried to run him off the road—nevertheless referred to the police as “fucking pigshits.”) “If a plane crashed in this bush, you’d be fortunate to find it,” Max Baxter told me. “It’s really, really hard to begin somewhere, unless there’s someone who knows and decides it’s time to come forward.”

Few New Zealanders still believe that Phillips and his kids—now 10, 8, and 7—are roughing it, stalking game in the deep bush like the wilderpeople of old. Most everyone thinks that he’s hiding on or near his family farm, aided by a network of friendly locals that may or may not include his parents. (That’s certainly what Wall, still trying to crack the case , believes.) On social media, it’s been a long time since anyone has called Phillips a good dad merely fighting authority. “He’s just a piece of shit human being with anger and control issues who is subjecting his children to child abuse,” went one typical comment .

And few anticipate any ending to this story that feels happy at all. In the worst-case scenario, Phillips and his kids are injured, or killed, robbing another bank or battling it out with the cops. But even the best-case scenario at this point feels grim. Phillips’ children have spent the past two and a half years with a father who’s surely told them that everyone is out to get them, that they can trust no one but him, that the only way to stay safe is to hide out far from the rest of the world. He’s relayed to them that their future depends on smashing windows, stealing cars, waving guns.

Someday those children will be found, and their father will almost certainly be sent to jail. Every news report about the case—a dwindling number, as the months go on—features the same photos of the children: the girls in fairy dresses, all three of them grinning widely. In the next photos we see of Jayda, Maverick, and Ember, they won’t be smiling. I once thought perhaps their father was giving them a gift, the adventure of a lifetime. Instead, he stole their childhoods. When it’s all over they’ll be as alone as that truck was, parked on the gray sand, the implacable sea rushing up to meet it.