Victory was laid down in 1759, launched in 1765, and first commissioned in 1778. By Trafalgar she already had a record of service in major fleet actions. The forty-year-old, 104-gun hull could still make about eleven knots. Key timbers required mature oak, with some ideal pieces coming from trees estimated at 200 to 300 years old. Victory drew on a design used for Royal George, but first rates were usually individual projects with substantial differences between ships. Spain's construction of first-rate classes was an exception.
Notable Point · 45:02-47:54
Victory was already a veteran first rate
At Trafalgar, Victory was a forty-year-old 104-gun veteran whose age reflected the long service lives possible for well-maintained wooden warships.