Q&A · 2:08:24-2:08:34

How far HMS Victory influenced later ships

HMS Victory offered a model for later first rates, but third-rate designers had other successful patterns available.

Question

Did HMS Victory serve as a model for later first and third rates?

Short answer

She influenced later first rates more clearly; third rates had other established design models.

Notes

Victory influenced successive first-rate ships, although her direct influence on third rates is less certain. Designers of those smaller ships already had alternative hulls and established type-specific solutions to draw upon. The prestige of a famous design does not establish the practical lineage of every ship below it.