Quote Originally Posted by Bligh View Post
I would take one and a half as the Franco Spanish seemed in the main very sluggish in responding. The few exceptions could be catered for with special rules, suich as "Deft Captain."
Rob.
"Ships and seamen rot in harbour", as Nelson himself said -- and the Combined Fleet had been penned up for a while.

Not helping was the fact that the battle wouldn't have happened in one of the French admirals hadn't questioned the courage of the Spanish. The barometer had been dropping in the leadup to the battle (the battle itself was quite-literally fought in The Calm Before The Storm), and the Spanish were arguing against going out in such weather. One of the French (Magon, by some accounts) then said, "It is not the glass [a term for the barometer -- CF], but the courage of certain persons which is falling." The next words out of Gravina's mouth: "Maņana al mar!"

The rest, like the Combined Fleet, is history.... >:)