Rayo's 1803 rebuild joined her quarterdeck and forecastle, added lighter guns and carronades, and reclassified the former 80-gun third rate as a 100-gun first rate. The new light guns increased broadside weight, but their smaller projectiles and the carronades' shorter range limited the gain. A proposed alternative was to retain the 80-gun layout, upgrade the lower battery to 36-pounders, and replace the upper gun deck's 18-pounders with 24-pounders. That approach was judged likely to provide useful firepower without the same addition of weight high in the hull. Rayo escaped Trafalgar after being dismasted, but the British 74 HMS Donegal captured her when she returned to sea in an attempt to recover prizes. Her defeat illustrates the criticism that a larger nominal armament had compromised practical fighting power. A storm wrecked her on 26 October, and the British prize crew burned her on 31 October.
Notable Point · 1:07:55-1:14:50
Rayo's rebuild added guns but harmed handling
Converting Rayo from an 80-gun third rate into a 100-gun first rate gained broadside weight while worsening the handling that mattered in combat.