FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW YORK, NY, October 11, 2013 – The ship that brought French reinforcements to the American troops during the Revolutionary War is coming back to life. In 1780, the Marquis de Lafayette left the city of Rochefort, located in the Poitou-Charentes region, onboard the Hermione frigate and joined General Washington to fight until the American victory 18 months later.
An enduring symbol of Franco-American friendship, a near-perfect replica is being constructed by the association Hermione-La Fayette, as well as a specially-made shipyard "Le Chantier de l'Hermione," which welcomes 250,000 visitors per year. Crossing the Atlantic in Lafayette's footsteps, the Hermione is projected to set sail in April 2015 and will be docked in Annapolis, Newport, New York and Boston before returning to Rochefort in August 2015.
