Replica of the Marquis de Lafayette’s Hermione Complete
A replica of the Marquis de Lafayette’s frigate Hermione, on which he embarked for America in 1780 to bring support to the American insurgents, has been completed. Construction began in 1997, and the ship was successfully launched in 2012. It now sits in its berth in Rochefort, France.
The ship is scheduled to sail to the United States in May 2015, visiting sites along the East Coast associated with Lafayette and the American War of Independence. The transatlantic crossing is expected to take 27 days with landfall at Yorktown, Va.
The Friends of Hermione–Lafayette in America is planning an inaugural gala in New York City on Oct. 14 of this year. Henry Kissinger is honorary chair of the organization, which has held several receptions at the Consul General of France in New York.