The French roster includes 80-, 74-, 70-, and 64-gun ships, along with frigates and smaller vessels. Compared with the British force, its divisions display a broader mixture of types and captured ships. British captures and wartime observation encouraged the Royal Navy to adapt French 64- and 74-gun concepts to British requirements. Those ratings then became central fighting ships in later wars, turning combat experience and prizes into a procurement lesson.
Notable Point · 59:12-1:04:46
French ships and the rise of the 64 and 74
The French fleet's varied ship ratings help explain why British attention turned toward the 64- and 74-gun ship of the line.