Lafayette’s Hermione liberty ship welcomed to New York

NEW YORK, NY – Almost one month after her arrival in the United States, MoëtHennessy celebrates the arrival of the Hermione, an exact replica of Lafayette’s liberty ship, in New York on July 1st.

NEW YORK, NY – Almost one month after her arrival in the United States, MoëtHennessy celebrates the arrival of the Hermione, an exact replica of Lafayette’s liberty ship, in New York on July 1st. This frigate is one of the symbols of French-American friendship associated with the Marquis de Lafayette who played a key role in the American Revolution.

The Hermione was welcomed by American and French officials including Former Ambassador to France Craig R. Stapleton, French Consul General Bertrand Lortholary and NYC Commissioner for International Affairs Penny Abeywardena. During the ceremony, MoëtHennessy Chairman and CEO Christophe Navarre led a Moët & Chandon toast to the Hermione’s Captain Yann Cariou and crew, as well as the supporters of this incredible project. He stated:

“I am proud to have supported this project for many years. MoëtHennessy, the MH of LVMH, and the Hermione share many values: History with a capital H, a daring and pioneering spirit, and savoir-faire, specifically in the craftsmanship of wood, of oak that built this boat and with which we create the barrels that house our Hennessy cognac.”

A special 250-liter barrel of the Hennessy 250 Collector Blend was suspended overhead. It has been donated to the Robin Hood Foundation and will be auctioned off on their behalf. The Cognac is an exceptional blend created to mark the 250th anniversary of the Maison founded in 1765 by Richard Hennessy. The other barrel travelling aboard the Hermione was donated to the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association and auctioned on their behalf to preserve and promote this historic site. The winner with a bid of $150,000 was announced at an exclusive dinner on June 9th.

MoëtHennessy will participate in several prestigious events aboard the Hermione throughout her 3-day port visit. On the 4th of July, Lafayette’s Liberty Ship will parade around the Statue of Liberty, another symbol of freedom and French-American friendship.

Miles Young, Worldwide Chairman & CEO, Ogilvy & Mather, and President, Friends of Hermione Lafayette of America stated:

“Bringing the Hermione here was twenty years in the planning and making. It has been a daring project from the beginning, and the help of MoëtHennessy, as a Grand Benefactor, has been instrumental in its tremendous success so far. As Hermione successfully crossed the Atlantic and has made her way up the Eastern seaboard triumphantly – we can see the power of a shared idea: the importance of authenticity and craftsmanship. The MoëtHennessy sponsorship of what is one of the most exciting Public History projects of this century also reminds us powerfully of the motto of Lafayette, ‘cur non ?’, why not ?”

The Hermione adventure came to life in 1992 when a small group of enthusiasts had the bold idea of rebuilding an exact replica of Lafayette’s liberty ship. The project was launched on the very same site on which the original ship was built. It was supported from the outset by the City of Rochefort, the Charente-Maritime Department and the Poitou-Charentes Region, but was soon joined by patrons such as MoëtHennessy and by the thousands of individuals in the Hermione-Lafayette Association. On July 4, 1997, construction of the ship was officially launched. In September 2014, the Hermione made her first sea trials.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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