AYD SAS

AYD SAS was founded by Cédric Ardoin, a naval architect who graduated from the Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology (Connecticut, USA) and a member of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA, UK). He is also an Approved HazMat Expert (Hamburg, Germany). The studio opened in 2010, following the refit and conversion of a former 52-metre Canadian coast guard vessel into an explorer yacht. The official website presents four service families: classification, marine engineering, conversion and refit, and custom study, alongside an owner's representative service. AYD states expertise in motor vessels from 25 to 85 metres and working relationships with the classification societies Lloyd's Register, ABS and RINA, as well as with flag administrations, mainly the Cayman Islands and the Red Ensign, for hull and stability updates. The studio says it works along the French Riviera and the Italian Riviera. The offices are at Espace Berlioz, 100 rue Albert Caquot, Biot.