Succeeding Erik Orsenna, Benedict Donnelly took over the presidency of the Hermione-La Fayette association from 1994 to June 2016. He discovered Rochefort in the early 80s when he was project manager at the Ministry of the Sea with Louis Le Pensec, and for nearly 30 years he did volunteer work in the association. The son of an American citizen who fought in the Normandy landings, Benedict Donnelly is all the more sensitive to the values conveyed by the Hermione. Thanks to the determination of this enthusiast who was passionate about heritage and maritime adventures, himself a good sailor, the voyage to the USA was finally made possible.
Iconic faces in the Association history
Among the project’s initiators who managed to get the ship reconstructed, we would particularly like to mention Jean-Louis Frot, mayor of Rochefort from 1977 to 2001, to whom the association owes a lot. He greatly contributed to the frigate’s reconstruction and to the success of this project. A generous visionary man who loved his city and its inhabitants, he was undoubtedly one of the pioneers of this extraordinary adventure without which this project could not have seen the light of day.
Among the project’s initiators who managed to get the ship reconstructed, we would particularly like to mention Jean-Louis Frot, mayor of Rochefort from 1977 to 2001, to whom the association owes a lot. He greatly contributed to the frigate’s reconstruction and to the success of this project. A generous visionary man who loved his city and its inhabitants, he was undoubtedly one of the pioneers of this extraordinary adventure without which this project could not have seen the light of day.
Among the project’s initiators who managed to get the ship reconstructed, we would particularly like to mention Jean-Louis Frot, mayor of Rochefort from 1977 to 2001, to whom the association owes a lot. He greatly contributed to the frigate’s reconstruction and to the success of this project. A generous visionary man who loved his city and its inhabitants, he was undoubtedly one of the pioneers of this extraordinary adventure without which this project could not have seen the light of day.
Having been the association’s secretary for a long time, the historian Emmanuel de Fontainieu (director of the Corderie Royale) led the historical committee and scrupulously ensured that the frigate was constructed identically down to the last detail.
Bruno Coussy, an urban planner for the city of Rochefort under the mandate of Jean-Louis Frot, made the case for reconstructing the Hermione in a Louis XV dry dock under a marquee, which contributed a lot to the shipyard’s success.
Former President of the Belem Foundation from 2002 to 2011, Paul Le Bihan was vice-president of the association in charge of sailing from July 2014 to December 2018. His experience and commitment greatly contributed to the preparation and success of the 2015 maiden voyage to the United States and the 2018 trips around the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.
Many others have and are still using their talents to help the association on a voluntary basis, such as Jean-François Fountaine, former sailor now mayor of La Rochelle, Alain Bourdeaux (a lawyer who was vice-president of the association), Jacques Delpech (a retired banker who was deputy treasurer), Francis Latreille (photographer), and many more.