Heller Royal Louis

It is thanks to the assistance of the Service Historique de la Marine in Paris that the reconstruction of the Royal Louis was made possible. The design of the hull, the distribution of the artillery, and the rigging were based on a draft by Count de Estaing from September 25, 1772. The construction plans were created by Mr. J.B. Olivier, renowned for his ship architecture. The Royal Louis was a first-class ship of the line, equipped with 120 cannons, including 32 pieces of 36-pound caliber, each weighing nearly 5 tons. It was one of the largest warships of its time, named after the French King Louis XVI. Its length at the waterline was 68 meters, the overall length was 96 meters, and the height of the main mast from the keel to the platform was 74 meters. In 1779-1780, the Royal Louis was a flagship of the Blue-White Squadron, which was part of the squadron for America, under Count de Estaing. This ship was exceptional due to its shapes and especially for the richness, finesse, and elegance of its stern, whose balconies were true masterpieces. It was wrecked in 1794 near Brest and sank.