British: 1 2nd rate + 3 3rd rates all elite crews.
French: 1 1st rate _ 1 2nd rate + 2 3rd rates, all regular crews.
Both sides are in 2 separate squadrons of 2 ships. The Brits are on the near side of the table. The wind is blowing from the far side of the table so the French have the weather guage. We then diced for sides & Chris got the Brits & Jim the French.
The British continued beating to windward leaving their squadrons separated. The lead French squadron wore ship so the 2 squadrons could run towards each other with the wind on the quarter to form a single line, then decend on one of the British squadrons.
The French had their port guns loaded with chain while the Brits had their starboard guns double shotted & the French got the worst of the initial exchange.
The 2nd & 3rd French ships were hit hard as the Brit flagship broke the line & raked them. But the succession of French ships firing chain dismasted the 2nd British ship & the British flagship was raked in the stern as the French passed firing first broadsides of double shot from their starboard batteries.
Outnumbered 2 to 1 one dismasted & the other a ruin, the ships of the British lead squadron had no choice but to strike their colours to prevent furtehr slaughter. The 2nd Brit squadron turned away.
The British failure to bear away to gain speed to combine their squadrons before engagement was ruthlesly punished.
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