Altair was designed by William Fife in 1931 and was one of the last sailing schooners built for cruising and racing at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The client wanted a yacht suitable for safe passage from England to the islands of the South Seas and for extended cruising in those waters. However, after the yacht was built, her owner, a very elderly gentleman, never undertook the intended voyage and sold the yacht two years later. The Altair passed from hand to hand, changing many owners. For a long time (from 1950 to 1984) she was owned by the Miguel Mora family who took great care of her and kept her in immaculate condition.
Nevertheless she has undergone two major refits in the hands of her new owners in 1987 and 2007. These repairs, which might be more accurately called thorough restorations, returned Altair to her original charm and luster. The most recent restoration in 2007-2010 was a model for this kind of work, setting new standards for the restoration of classic wooden yachts. Alas, few of these yachts meet such standards.
