Nelson's force is built mostly around 74-gun ships, without a first-rate, while the French line includes three 80-gun ships and the 120-gun Orient. On paper that gives France a meaningful firepower advantage. French personnel weakness predated the Revolution: the expulsion of the Huguenots had removed officers from a community that treated naval service as an important path into public life. Later political purges removed still more experienced officers, preventing Brueys from turning material strength into coordinated combat power.
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The opposing fleets: French weight versus British depth
France has heavier ships and greater theoretical broadside weight, but Britain brings a more cohesive corps of captains and trained crews.