Piriou’s Yersin, the 250-foot expedition yacht that made its debut at the Monaco Yacht Show, is the first yacht from the French shipyard. The yacht’s owner, Francois Fiat, chose the yard because he wanted a boat that would be as robust as the commercial vessels Piriou has built in its 50-year history.

Fiat named the boat after Alexandre Yersin, the Swiss born, French scientist and adventurer who traveled the world to find cures for diseases like rabies and the bubonic plague. Fiat and Piriou had three c…