Altair set the standard for vintage yacht restorations and she is a benchmark to which many are compared but that none match.

In her restoration it has been proved that not only is an authentic restoration possible but that having achieved it, the end result is superb in all respects. The press coverage that Altair has received is a pale reflection of all that she stands for, but saying this, she has been featured on more than a dozen front pages and many complete articles.

Of the large high-quality pre-war yachts that survive today be they restored or not, only a very few will ever be able to match Altair's originality. The unique nature of this yacht is beyond question and her future is of an importance way beyond that usually associated with a particular yacht.

Altair, built in Fairlie by William Fife & Sons as yard number 789 was launched in May 1931. As such, she is one of the last descendants of the famous fleet of schooners that revitalized schooner racing around the turn of the century William Fife’s “Cicely” and “Suzanne” being particularly notable members of this fleet. More specifically, Altair's origins lie in the desires of her first owner Captain H. MacCaw for ‘a sound, safe cruiser; safe to go to the South Sea Islands in with no difficulty’ as he wrote to William Fife in 1929. After some considerable correspondence, a design was finally settled on and the price agreed at £21,500.

In actual fact the rather elderly MacCaw never made the world voyage he had planned, and after two years of ownership he sold her to Walter Runciman (later Viscount Runciman) Liberal MP for St. Ives. Sailing her on the south coast of England and west coast of Scotland, he in turn sold her in 1938 to Sir William Verdon-Smith who enjoyed her for two seasons until she was bought by the Admiralty to play her part in the war effort. Following the war, Altair was extensively refitted in 1948 and left England under Portuguese ownership passing into the hands of Miguel Sans Mora two years later. In this ownership she remained based in Barcelona until acquired by her next owners in 1985. It is largely thanks to the great love that Sans Mora had for Altair that during 34 years she was maintained in the tradition within which she was built.

Altair’s new Swiss owners committed her to the now famous and much written about restoration / refit at Southampton Yacht Services with a dedicated and hand picked team that would go on to create Fairlie Restorations, this was completed in 1987 and her owners set about cruising, racing and enjoying Altair.

Altair was then sold to a well known Spanish family and again in 2005 Altair was sold to her current ownership.

2007 saw Altair return to Southampton and Fairlie Restorations in addition to all the new equipment, rebuilds and servicing detailed in this specification the following structure works were completed and supervised by Lloyds:

• New stem made and fitted
• New forefoot made and fitted
• Floor bolts removed and replaced (160 in total)
• All frames closely inspected and attended to as required
• Full rig removed, spars & blocks stripped, serviced, varnished and replaced
• All bright work stripped
• Deck hatches removed and re-bedded
• Full interior French polished
• Full hull and paint job