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Soleil Royal was the flagship of the French navy in 1690. With 104 canons on board the three masts was engaged in many naval combats. The Count of Tourville was the captain that confronted with 46 other ships the Anglo-Dutch fleets (97 ships) in a fierce battle north of Barfleur. The battle raged for 12 hours and Tourville inflicted heavy losses to the enemy forced to retreat. Soleil Royal with two other battle ships laying defenseless on Cherbourg beaches were attack 3 weeks later by the Anglo-Dutch. It was a sad day for France who lost 18 ships that single day.

Just one year after this cruel defeat, Tourville got its revenge at Cape St-Vincent by taking 59 English ships on the 27^th of June 1698. From that day, France was England’s most feared enemy at sea for more than a century.