Fast deployment lets a force arrive before an opponent expects it or is ready. Such forces are often small, so each ship's fighting power matters. Vernon accepted perhaps a quarter of the fleet he could have assembled by waiting for ships in ordinary, because the larger force would have taken months. His guard ships reached Portobelo before reinforcements, disabled the base, and left before Spain could respond effectively.
Notable Point · 20:30-22:35
Deployment speed can matter more than fleet size
Guard ships let Vernon act with a smaller force before Spanish reinforcements arrived, demonstrating how readiness can overturn an opponent's planning timetable.