Family reunions are a special time to celebrate family and love. Looking for something different to do this year for your family reunion? Do something truly special and take a family reunion cruise! Empress Events can help you plan an unforgettable event that your whole family will love.

A Yacht Cruise for your Family Reunion!

On an Empress Events cruise you can party and relax while we take care of all the details behind the scenes! Our crew will work with you beforehand to plan every detail. Once the party begins, we work tirelessly to ensure everything goes according to plan. This year enjoy the party with the family and we’ll take care everything!

Our yacht can hold up to 150 guests so your whole family can fit comfortably on board! Our yacht counts with ample seating inside and a large deck outside ensuring comfort for everyone.

Not sure what you can do on a yacht charter? Play games or dance on the dance floor. Enjoy some finger food and desserts or sit down for a special meal. Really, the options are endless on a family reunion cruise! Best of all admire the breathtaking sites of San Francisco Bay. Imagine this years family photo with the Golden Gate Bridge or San Francisco’s Skyline in the background!

Make your next family reunion the best yet… call Empress Events for an event you’ll never forget!

“We just hosted an event there, and it was fantastic. The crew was first class: helpful, attentive, fun, cheery, and with a great attitude. The yacht was a surprise for our guests, who thought it was even better than we described.
Plus, when whales started showing up in the Bay, the captain slowed the boat down long enough for us to view, and another crew member would say over the microphone which side they were on.
Great experience!”

Kevin R.

Read our articles on San Francisco Bay Yacht Party, Holiday Party In San Fransisco, A Wedding Cruise for Your Special Day, Team Building Cruise, and Make Great Memories On The Water.

Official VIP Yacht for New Zealand Team

Empress was the official VIP Yacht for the America’s Cup Challenger Emirates New Zealand Team 2013.  And what an exciting series of final races we witnessed on the beautiful San Francisco Bay during September 2013.  The amazing 72 by 48 foot catamaran yachts were able to achieve speeds of up to 53 mph.  From the decks of the Empress Yacht,  as they literally flew past us, we had a front row view of these cutting edge sailing machines and of the exhilarating speed created by the enormous 131 ft. sails.  Against the dramatic backdrop of  San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge and landmarks such as Alcatraz, this America’s Cup was truly an unforgettable experience.

Boat difficulties

Early on in the races, the Oracle Team experienced a design flaw with the foils on their boat.  Due to the intense friction around the foils the water started boiling and resulted in these breaking.  To resolve this problem the Oracle Team modified the material used in fabricating the winged foils and also the winglets at the bottom of the rudders.  The foils were a critical part of the equation and adjust not only up and down but side to side and forward and aft.

 Kiwis take the lead

As the races started out we saw a strong lead by the New Zealand team.  By race #11 the score was 8-1 in favor of the Kiwis in what seemed an impossible to break lead.  In race #8, we witnessed the beginning of an unbelievable comeback when the New Zealand boat almost capsized due to hydraulic failure while tacking .  The Oracle team took advantage of this failed maneuver and won the race, blocking the New Zealanders from winning the America’s Cup.

What a Comeback!

But what did the Oracle Team do to reverse their loosing streak?  There is much controversy about what the Oracle team changed to be more effective in the water, especially in the upwind leg.  Was it the team?  Was it something mechanical?  What we do know is that they shortened the forward tri area, changed the tactician from John Kostecki to Ben Ansley, along with a couple other crew changes and minor tweaks here and there.  Due to the adjustments we saw amazing improvement in their sailing performance which led them to win race #12; and after some breathtaking racing achieved an 8-8 tie!

This America’s cup was the longest on record with a total of 19 races.  As you probably already know, the tension continued until the very end of the last race.  On the last leg of that race Oracle team USA beat New Zealand by seconds.  It seemed that the Oracle team’s position was unsalvageable but they managed to turn their score around and bring home the trophy.

Looking forward to the next America’s Cup

Captain Gerry Robertson is looking forward to the 35th Cup and believes San Francisco to be the ideal venue for both the competitors and spectators.  Gerry has been sailing on the San Francisco Bay and The Pacific North and South Oceans since childhood.  “I started my career from The St Francis Yacht Club.  I’m proud to say with John Kostecki and all the top sailors aboard one design sailing yachts and IOR [international offshore rule] racing from the early 70’s, 80’s and 90’s.  Johnny and I won many races together and for all those years of competition we always took home the trophy.  Mr. Kostecki is one of the world’s top sailors.  He is the original tactician on the Oracle Team USA and remains a critical part of Oracles winning program.”

Empress Events luxury yachts offer the best event hosting on the San Francisco Bay. From weddings to corporate events to the America’s Cup you’ll find all you need for an unforgettable occasion on the Empress yachts.

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