She took the water in July, 1870, amid the cheers of a large crowd of spectators, and the launch was followed by a big luncheon, presided over by Mr. Walker, at which many leading shipping people were present.Lothair was one of the fastest tea clippers, judged to be in the top dozen or so by Andrew Shewen.

There is a contemporary description of her speed, quoted in Stuart Rankin's Shipyards, Granaries and Wharves walk:[2] I was second mate of a Newbury Port ship, and we were running our easting down bound out to Canton, and we were somewhere near Tristan d'Acunha when we sighted a vessel astern.

But when she was abeam a little later, she hoisted her name, the Lothair, and it's been my opinion ever since that she was making mighty close to 17 knots.This was quite a compliment – the Flying Dutchman was a ghost ship of maritime legend, and the Thermopylae was renowned as the fastest tea clipper on the sea, a reputation seriously challenged only by the Cutty Sark.

[1] David MacGregor adds that in 1873–1874, under the ownership of Killick Martin & Company, she made the fastest passage in the fair monsoon between Hong Kong and Deal, which took her only 89 days.

[1] In 1885, Killick Martin & Company sold Lothair to William Bowen, Llanelly, Carmarthenshire, for use in the South American trade.