Since these engagements were almost invariably won by the heaviest ships carrying the most powerful guns, the natural progression was to build sailing vessels that were the largest and most powerful of their time.
Sejak pertempuran-pertempuran hampir selalu dimenangkan oleh kapal-kapal besar yang membawa senjata yang paling kuat, perkembangan yang terjadi secara alamiah adalah membangun kapal layar yang terbesar dan terkuat di masanya.