Hornby used the Channel Squadron command to master steam-era fleet problems without abandoning the skills that had formed him. He took the flagship HMS Edgar out of harbor under full sail, a departure presented as the last of its kind by a Royal Navy ship of the line. The maneuver was deliberately demonstrative: Hornby wanted to show that he still possessed the highest sailing skill. It captures why he could bridge naval eras rather than simply championing the new one at the expense of the old.
Notable Point · 35:57-36:45
HMS Edgar displayed Hornby's mastery of sail
Even while developing steam-fleet tactics, Hornby took HMS Edgar out of harbor under full sail in a final demonstration of ship-of-the-line seamanship.