HMS Sans Pareil ( 1794 ) HMS " Sans Pareil " " ( " Without Equal " ) " was an 80 - gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy . She was formerly the French ship " Sans Pareil " , but was captured in 1794 and spent the rest of her career in service with the British . French service . " Sans Pareil " was built at Brest as a , to a design by Groignard . She was launched on 8 June 1793 , but spent less than a year in service with the French navy . She sailed into the Atlantic in May 1794 , under the command of Captain Courand , as part of a squadron under Rear - Admiral Joseph - Marie Nielly . She was Nielly ' s flagship for the operation , which aimed to meet a corn convoy inbound from North America , under Pierre Jean Van Stabel . Neilly initially failed to make contact with the French convoy , but on 9 May 1794 the squadron came across a British one , escorted by HMS " Castor " , under the command of Captain Thomas Troubridge . The squadron attacked and captured the " Castor " , and a number of the convoy ' s ships . The " Castor " was only briefly in French hands , being retaken by HMS " Carysfort " on 29 May . Having made contact with the approaching convoy , the squadron began the return voyage . During this , a French fleet under Admiral Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse was intercepted by a British fleet under Lord Howe , and a series of sporadic actions were fought on 28 and 29 May . Neilly brought some of his larger ships , including the " Sans Pareil " to join Villaret , sending the convoy on ahead escorted by frigates . The fleets eventually clashed in force at the Glorious First of June , where " Sans Pareil " formed part of the French rear . During the battle HMS " Royal George " , flagship of Vice - Admiral Alexander Hood , broke the French line ahead of " Sans Pareil " , bringing down her fore and mizzen masts with a broadside . HMS " Glory " then passed across her stern , shooting away her main mast . Disabled and unmanageable , " Sans Pareil " drifted out of the line and was taken by HMS " Majestic " . Aboard her were found Troubridge and 50 men and officers of the " Castor " . They were released and helped to bring the damaged " Sans Pareil " into Spithead . " Sans Pareil " had possibly lost as many as 260 of her crew , with another 120 wounded . British service . The " Sans Pareil " was commissioned into the Royal Navy , and was initially commanded from March 1795 by Captain Lord Hugh Seymour , who was promoted to Rear - Admiral on 1 June 1795 , the first anniversary of the Glorious First . He was succeeded in the command by Captain W . Browell in August 1795 , but she continued to serve as Seymour ' s flagship , with the Channel Fleet . She was then present as part of a fleet under Admiral Hood at another engagement with Villaret , the Battle of Groix on 22 June , where she engaged the French ships " Formidable " and " Peuple " , losing ten killed , and having another two wounded . The " Formidable " was subsequently taken , joining the Royal Navy as HMS " Belleisle " . Seymour left the ship after this , being appointed to the Board of Admiralty in autumn 1795 . " Sans Pareil " continued to sail off the French coast , using her French build to her advantage by flying the French ensign and luring privateer s to come within range . Seymour returned on a number of occasions , retaining her as his flagship for several cruises . By January 1799 Captain Atkins had taken command of " Sans Pareil " , but by August Captain Charles Penrose had replaced him . She then sailed to the West Indies , again as Seymour ' s flagship . At some point in 1800 or 1801 , " Sans Pareil " captured the , which the British took into service under that name . Interestingly , the " London Gazette " reports that on 9 April 1800 , " Sans Pareil " captured the Spanish trader " Guakerpin " , of 165 tons burthen ( bm ) , ten guns and 38 men . She belonged to Saint Andero , and was sailing from there to Vera Cruz with a cargo of iron , porter , and linens . On 27 March , " Sans Pareil " captured two small French privateer schooners . One was the " Pensee " , of four guns and 65 men . She was from Guadeloupe and had set out on cruise from Pointe - à - Pitre when she was captured . The second was the " Sapajon " , of six guns and 48 men . Both were from Guadeloupe and had set out on cruise from Pointe - à - Pitre when they was captured . Seymour contracted a fever and died on 11 September 1801 . Penrose too became ill and had to return to Britain . " Sans Pareil " then came under the command of Captain William Essington , and served as the flagship of Admiral Richard Montague . She returned to Plymouth on 4 September 1802 . Fate . After her return to Plymouth the Lords of the Admiralty wished immediately to recommission her as a guardship , but then she was put into ordinary instead because she was so in need of repair . In 1805 she was ordered repaired . The subsequent major refit lasted for 18 months and cost £35 , 000 . This turned her into a prison hulk , and by 1807 she was used to hold French prisoners - of - war . She was reduced to a sheer hulk at Plymouth in October 1810 , and spent another 32 years in service . " Sans Pareil " was finally broken up in October 1842 .