By 1778, he was a "Brigadier" or Commodore and participated in the Armada of 1779, capturing the British corvette HMS "Winchcomb", the only Royal Navy ship lost during the failed expedition. When the combined fleet wintered at Brest and Cádiz respectively, during the winter 1779–80, Lángara was left in command of a small squadron of 11, mostly smaller ships of the line. With this he faced the entire naval strength of 18 battleships and 6 frigates under Sir George Rodney off the stormy, dark cliffs of Cape St. Vincent, in the afternoon of 16 January 1780.