JOURNEYS HIGH SEAS
VIKING SPIRIT
SWEDEN’S J CRAFT TORPEDO COMBINES ITALIAN STYLE WITH STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY BY HOWARD WALKER
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aze longingly at the gorgeous lines of this Swedish-built J Craft Torpedo cruiser, with its mirror-varnished mahogany and 1960s elegance, and the phrase “fit for a king” might come to mind. Actually, it is fit for a king. Back in 1999, His Royal Highness Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden, took delivery of the very first J Craft. He still owns it today and reportedly spends summer vacations cruising around the Mediterranean. Unashamedly inspired by that long-out-of-production icon of the ’60s, the Italian Riva Aquarama, the J Craft Torpedo is 42 feet of handcrafted style and sophistication, guaranteed to spin heads from the coast of Maine to the Côte d’Azur. And we’re actually on the Côte to try this modern classic in a run from Beaulieu-sur-Mer across to glitzy Monaco, courtesy of our friends at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Rolls has had a long relationship with J Craft, perhaps because the two companies appeal to the same kind of fun-loving billionaires. Not so long ago, they partnered on a proposal for a matching Torpedo and Phantom drophead coupe, both with the same stealthy black paint,
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creamy-yellow upholstery, and satin-metal detailing. The carmaker even created a stunning picnic box—complete with bespoke flatware—that could go from car to boat. Pass the Grey Poupon, please. And just like any Rolls-Royce, the J Craft is a labor of love for a passionate, dedicated workforce. It takes a small team of artisans more than 8,000 hours, or a full year, to build each Torpedo at J Craft’s factory on the rugged, windswept Swedish island of Gotland. Each cruiser is fashioned from sustainably sourced West African mahogany that’s formed by steam bending—in much the same way the Swedish Vikings built their longboats back in the day. But unlike those wooden longboats, the Torpedo uses vacuum-bagged vinylester and fiberglass for its deep-V hull. See the finished J Craft bobbing gently along the restaurant-filled Beaulieu-sur-Mer waterfront, and it’s nothing less than a piece of art. It’s just beautiful, from that glorious arched rear transom to the pinched stern that flows forward into a wide, curvy bow, not to mention the quartet of porthole-style engine vents at the back. Step aboard—shoes off, of course—and tread lightly across the
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8/1/22 9:40 AM
