De With tried to work south and recover the weather gauge, but several ships fell too far west and were mauled by the Commonwealth rear. A wind shift then restored the English advantage before the Dutch fleet had completed its move. De Ruyter and Cornelis Evertsen persuaded De With that withdrawal was unavoidable and helped cover the retreat with about a dozen ships. Their action prevented further captures, while fellow officers rejected De With's proposal to make another immediate attempt with the damaged fleet.
Chapter · 2:42:18-2:44:06
De Ruyter and Evertsen cover the Dutch withdrawal
When the wind again favoured the Commonwealth, De Ruyter and Cornelis Evertsen helped persuade De With to withdraw and covered the retreat.