Imagine cruising through the San Francisco Bay at sunset, taking in sweeping views of all the iconic sights while sailing past Angel Island and Alcatraz. The most spectacular part, however, is seeing the Golden Gate Bridge lit up against the shimmering city skyline.
There’s a reason Empress Events is a popular choice for parties and special occasions in the Bay Area. “It’s a unique experience because people just don’t get out on the water often. A lot of people have never been on a boat before,” says Captain Gerry, owner and head captain of The Empress. A native San Franciscan, he began sailing at the age of 5 with his grandfather on the racing Star sailboat in Glen Cove, Long Island. In 1971, he purchased “Xanadu,” the famous 50-foot Rhodes yacht, and sailed her from Miami to San Francisco via the Panama Canal. This sparked an adventurous stint of racing and delivering yachts all over the world.
Captain Gerry eventually transitioned to using his yachting experience to host spectacular events. When asked about his favorite clients, Captain Gerry says, “I like to say there’s no favorite. That’s like saying who your favorite child is, but we definitely love our corporate clients.” Captain Gerry’s first major client was PeopleSoft. As his business grew, he purchased The Empress to service larger companies such as Oracle, Google and Lyft. The luxurious 90-foot yacht soon averaged over 300 trips per year pre-pandemic and business is booming again as restrictions have been lifted, with several weddings ahead. “I don’t think there is a Bay Area corporation that has not had an event on my boat,” Captain Gerry says. “In fact, most everyone in the Bay Area has joined us for one occasion or another.”
Outside of the corporate world, The Empress has been used for surveying and studying the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge renovation, for architect Donald MacDonald’s black-tie party in 2013 after the completion of the bridge eastern section post– Loma Prieta earthquake and New Zealand’s month-long party boat in America’s Cup 2013. Other notable guests who have been aboard The Empress include the group Destiny’s Child, Joe Montana, Robin Williams and Blues Traveler.
Captain Gerry himself is quite a remarkable individual. Aside from his extensive yachting endeavors, including a thirteen-day sailing expedition from British Columbia to Maui, he also boasts a background in music production. His company Primo Productions provided sound and lights for bands including Earth Wind & Fire, B.B. King, Tower of Power, Buddy Miles, Van Morrison, Doobie Brothers, Jose Feliciano and many more. Running Empress Events is at times a beautiful merging of these two passions. Captain Gerry shares that one of his favorite memories was meeting his musical idol Jeff Beck and having the honor of introducing him to everyone on board.
Amenities aboard The Empress include two floors of spacious dining, five-star cuisine with private chef, full-size kitchen, top-shelf bars, hardwood dance floor, state-of-the-art sound system, incredible music and more. The three-story yacht can accommodate a wide range of gatherings, from corporate events to weddings, memorials, graduation parties and everything in between.
Planning an event on The Empress is simple. Clients create their guest list and decide on music and food. Empress Events will make all the arrangements so clients can relax and be in the moment with their guests. A result is an enchanting event that everyone will remember for years to come. “Our focus is to give our clients an experience that they can tell their friends about,” Captain Gerry says. “My goal is to create a space for [them] that is so much better than others on the Bay.”
[Photos by Gary Ferber]
