rochefort is the original french naval dock. the french hermione was built in rochefort.ayor of rochefort saw this as an economic regeneration project. the idea developed there. then the famous author became the figurehead for the organization. and, of course, actually, the mayor was right. 4.5 million visitors came into rochefort and put the town back on the map. it is an example of how heritage can pay. which was very difficult to build because some of these skills are not there he obvious. the decision had been made that this should be an authentic replica. so, there we sre some concessions. there is an engine, there is radar. some metal bolts in the sub structure of the hull, but otherwise very little compromise. you have to find thousands of french oak trees, and they have to be shaped like this. in the old french forests, they were grown courses so they would bend. then you need a tree that grows like that and has a joint like that. and you only use the section. how do you find those in today's world? it took 10 0 years to find the french oak that made the ship what

and the city of rochefort. for 50 small corporations who specialized in all the handcraft needed to rebuild the ship the way it was in 1780. the cabinetry, the sales, the ironwork, and the foundry of guns. a dream for four million visitors to the site of the building over the last 10 years. a dream for the students whom i asked to make the furniture for the ship. a dream we want all our american friends to share. thanks to the dedication of mike young and his team. many thanks to yorktown for its warm welcome. bravo to the hermione crew. to its captain. to its experienced sailors and to each of the 100 young volunteers. lafayette was hardly 20 years old when he crossed the atlantic for the first time to side with the american insurgents. in paris, he pleaded for the cause of the country he would forever consider his second homeland. he returned on board hermione, bringing with him the good news -- the imminent arrival of troops and warships sent by france. the victory of yorktown obtained by the americans and f