ALTAIR
Classic Yacht  For Sale

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L.O.A.: 40.79 m / 133' 10'' 
Engines: 275 BHP Gardner 6 L x DT
Beam: 6.25 m / 20' 6''
Cabins: 5
Draught: 4.2 m / 13' 9'' 
Year build: 1931

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.

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 American ownership .

(Notes on the layout plan )
the head to starboard of the companionway is now a shower room and forward of the Captains cabin (forward of saloon to starboard) where the plan shows a double bunk cabin, there is now a crew head and bathroom and the berths forward of this are now symmetrical with the port side crew berths.)

SY ALTAIR main characteristics

Type Gaff rigged Topsail Schooner
Construction Teak on oak with teak deck
Builder William Fife & Sons, United Kingdom
Designer William Fife
Year of build 1931
Last refit 2007
Flag British
Port of registry Southampton
Class Lloyds (Maltese Cross) 100A LMC Yacht
Length Overall (LOA) 40.79 m / 133' 10''
Beam 6.25 m / 20' 6''
Draft 4.2 m / 13' 9''
Gross Tonnage 93
Full load displacement 155
Main Engines 275 BHP Gardner 6 L x DT main engine (rebuilt 2007, last service Oct 0
Generators 2 x 2 x 25kva ONAN MDL 6 cylinder generators (rebuilt 2007, last service Oct 09)
Propulsion 32. Variprop feathering propeller
Fuel capacity 3200 litres (2 x 1,000 litres in Bilge 2 x 600 litres in E/R)
Fresh water capacity 3000 litres (2 x 1500 litres tanks)
Grey water tank capacity 450 litres (1 x 250 litre & 1 x 200 litre stainless steel tanks, new 2007)
Paint job Hull painted in June 2007

Accommodation French polished walnut throughout for guest accommodation. The interior of Altair is considered one of the most beautiful and authentic interiors in any yacht. The paneling, door furniture and bathroom fittings are all from 1931 .
In 2007 all nickel and chrome interior fittings removed and re-plated with the interior freshly French polished and painted.

Owner: Double cabin

Guests: 1 x VIP (small double) & 3 x Single guest cabins

Bathrooms: 2 showers and 1 bath. The original Blakes toilet has been beautifully preserved, but while appearing to be manual, it is actually electrically operated.

Safety equipment 2 x manual bilge pumps

1 x engine driven

1 x 220V bilge pump- these pumps double as fire pumps

1 x 24V bilge pump

17 fire extinguishers

Emergency tiller

25 Life jackets

2 life rings

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