The Royal Dockyards
At the start of the 18th century it was unclear which of several European naval powers would go on to dominate the seas of the world. The Dutch navy was both large and very experienced, and had inflicted several defeats on her rivals in the previous century. France under Louis XIV had built a modern fleet that was the envy of all, while Spain’s huge empire gave her the financial clout to build some of the most powerful ships in the world. Few observers would have picked Brita
