The Ardent design differed substantially from the French Lis class in its dimensions, battery, structure, and rig. French rigging could extract slightly more energy from the wind, while the British system was easier to crew and maintain on long deployments. Slade appears to have borrowed hull curvature and sailing lines instead, producing a stable gun platform that could also sail close to the wind. The Royal Navy filtered captured designs through its own operating requirements rather than reproducing them wholesale.
Notable Point · 26:35-30:23
French hull lines with a British sailing system
Slade's adaptation kept useful French hull and sailing qualities while replacing the rig and structure with arrangements suited to worldwide Royal Navy service.