Did HMS Victory serve as a model for later first and third rates?
Short answerShe influenced later first rates more clearly; third rates had other established design models.
NotesVictory 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.