Speed, range, and balanced capability

HMS Prince of Wales stays outside the opposing battleship's dense secondary battery and fights where her long-range fire has the advantage. The enemy battlecruiser appears less dangerous at close range, so the two targets call for different tactics. Real warships need a useful balance of capabilities rather than a narrowly min-maxed specification. A speed margin of about three knots is usually enough to dictate range. The comparison between USS Constitution and HMS Victory explains why a nominal two-knot advantage can shrink with the wind, since Victory's larger rig and sail area alter their relative performance.