9 6 ▁Polish ▁Hob ie ▁Cat ▁Championships , ▁finishing ▁sixth ▁in ▁the ▁Hob ie ▁ 1 6 ▁class . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁or ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁he ▁visited ▁the ▁Sal on ▁na ut ique ▁international ▁de ▁Paris ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁buy ▁a ▁similar ▁racing ▁cat amar an ▁for ▁himself , ▁but ▁instead ▁bought ▁three ▁cru ising ▁cat amar ans , ▁transport ed ▁them ▁to ▁Mad agas car ▁and ▁founded ▁Sun ree f ▁Char ter , ▁a ▁France - based ▁y acht ▁char ter ▁company ▁His ▁son ▁Nicolas ▁also ▁owned ▁a ▁travel ▁ag ency ▁special ising ▁in ▁lux ur ious ▁y ach ts . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁they ▁decided ▁to ▁start ▁building ▁y ach ts ▁themselves , ▁instead ▁of ▁bu ying ▁them ▁from ▁other ▁ship y ards . ▁Francis ▁L app ▁le ased ▁ 6 0 0 0 ▁square ▁metres ▁of ▁recently ▁closed - down ▁G da ń sk ▁Sh ip yard ▁and ▁started ▁Sun ree f ▁Y ach ts , ▁the ▁first ▁ship yard ▁in ▁Poland ▁special ising ▁in ▁cat amar an ▁construction . ▁The ▁first ▁vessel , ▁a ▁ 2 2 . 5 - met re ▁cat amar an ▁designed ▁by ▁Van ▁Pet eg hem ▁La uri ot - Pr év ost , ▁was ▁launched ▁on ▁ 2 5 ▁July ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁its ▁god m other ▁was ▁Anna ▁Maria ▁J ope k , ▁a ▁popular ▁Polish ▁singer . ▁It ▁took ▁roughly ▁two ▁years ▁to ▁find ▁a ▁bu yer ▁for