# I saw 3 ships go sailing by...#

Today, during my Christmas shopping week (bleh!) - I got to go to a local shop in Ashington 'War and Piece', which sells wargames stuff and rents tables (and figures!) for people to play on/with.

I got to play 3 games of Sails of Glory with a fellow correspondent on the Sails of Glory Anchorage ...Neil.

Neil, ready to play!

A couple of shots of the shop... 

...in case anyone is in the area! 

 Michael, the shop owner, also a wargamer!

The first game:

HMS Spartiate, a 74, Neil sailed directly towards my Spanish 74, Argonauta.

 He turned downwind, and fired a full broadside at long range. I withheld my fire, hoping for a closer range broadside.

 A mistake! Spartiate's volley took a great chunk out of Argonauta!

 My return broadside was...rather less effective!

We maneuvered, and both fired beyond maximum range! Amateurs!

 Argonauta, with the wind, turned to port as she reloaded.

We both exchanged fire at short range! 

Spartiate was...scratched! 

Argonauta lost 3 hull boxes from a crashing volley!

We both turned, and fired again...

 Spartiate, again, took minimal damage...

Argonauta was trashed!

Hasta la vista, Inglés! -- toda vela a Cádiz amigos!

The Second game...

I replaced the battered Spaniard with a French 74, Le Berwick.

 Neil stuck with the (apparently bulletproof)- HMS Spartiate!

 We headed nose to nose, in a weird game of 'Chicken'...

Who would turn first? 

 ...We both did!

 We both turned and shot, I had the advantage!

Sadly, our fire caused about.... 

 ...the same damage to both vessels!

 Both crews feverishly reloaded.

As we parted, we fired again... 

Le Berwick was severely damaged again.

What do you know? Spartiate took minimal damage! 

Pleine vitesse à marseillaise, mes amis!

The third game...

The third game, we switched from 74's to Frigates...

I took the French ship Hermione. 

Neil took the HMS Harry Potter!

No, actually, the HMS Sybille. 

We shot at long range as we passed. Hermione lost a box 

HMS Sybille, being larger, was only lightly damaged.

We now began maneuvering. 

 ...just out of range of each other.

 HMS Sybille fired at Hermione... 

...and missed! 

 I now turned to try to get upwind of the Englishman.

 Unfortunately, he got a shot in...

Fortunately, only minimal damage was caused. 

I now turned and raked the Sybille. 

I caused a fair amount of damage on her.

As Hermione reloaded, Sybille got a return shot.

 Only minimal damage, again.

  Hermione turned downwind to try and get another raking shot, but the English ship went 'In Irons' -facing the wind - and used the wind to turn in on me.

His close range shot saw the return of the 'Luck of the English' - and 3 hull boxes were smashed on the poor Frenchman!

Sadly, this left her with only 1 strength firepower, so, once again it was full speed to Bordeaux!

That's the first time I have played 3 games in a day! - even though I lost all 3(!) - they were great fun!