"The Hermione Association: ship-owner"

In late 1992, the Hermione-La Fayette Association was created on the initiative of several members of the Centre International de la Mer (located in the Corderie Royale) and several officials from the City of Rochefort.

For nearly five years, this handful of enthusiasts would work to make the Hermione reconstruction project a reality.

In 1996, the Association, which at the time included only its founding members, decided to open membership to other sympathizers to the cause (associate members) who now total several thousand.

A number of projects were tackled simultaneously: the search for historical sources and reconstituting the original plans, search for initial funding, followed by a call for bids to identify and retain a builder, etc.

At the helm of the Hermione-La Fayette Association, the ship's owner, is a core team of enthusiasts who donate their time to this tremendous patrimony conservation project. They form the Board of Directors.

Erik Orsenna, author, is the founding president of the Hermione-La Fayette Association. Since 1991, he has also been president of the Corderie Royale - Centre International de la Mer, which is a Hermione-La Fayette partner.

Benedict Donnelly has been president of the Hermione-La Fayette Association since 1994. As the son of an American citizen who took part in the Normandy Landing, Benedict Donnelly is especially sensitive to the values the Hermione incarnates.

Raymond Labbé, a naval constructor from Saint-Malo, is technical advisor to the French Ministry of Culture for matters of maritime patrimony and acts as technical advisor to the Association. His extensive experience in wooden naval construction, combined with his knowledge of French naval patrimony make him a crucial link in our association.

The municipality of Rochefort has provided very active support, from the project's very beginning.

As director of the Corderie Royale in Rochefort, Emmanuel de Fontainieu holds the position of Association secretary. He is also in charge of the special events/actions policy.

Let us also mention, among others, Jean-Louis Frot, former mayor of Rochefort, Jean-François Fountaine, CEO of the Fountaine-Pajot shipyards, Alain Bourdeaux, vice president (legal director), Olivier Pagezy, financial director, Jacques Delpech, deputy treasurer (retired banker), Francis Latreille (photographer)... and a number of others who donate their skills to the Association in order to make the dream a reality.

In Rochefort, a team of 8 employees, including 4 full-time, handle the Association's everyday operation: coordination, financial and administrative management, membership management, communication, press relations, public relations, relations with partners, running the Comptoir de l’Hermione, the gift shop featuring off-shoots, etc.