Maybe swooping in, firing, and disengaging to maneuver into a better position against the hobbled opponent? It strikes me as being about priorities and tradeoffs on a first pass: the British go right for the enemy's ability to shoot while the French prefer to attack the enemy's ability to maneuver first. The French might take more damage in the first broadside to the hull and gun crews, but if their gambit is successful, it could pay huge dividends with the ability to take subsequent raking shots.