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The "seventy-four" was a type of two-decked sailing ship of the line which nominally carried 74 guns. It was developed by the French navy in the 1740s and spread to the British Royal Navy where it was classed as third rate. From here, it spread to the Spanish, Dutch, Danish and Russian navies. The design was considered a good balance between firepower and sailing qualities, but more importantly, it was an appealing ideal for naval administrators and bureaucrats. Seventy-fours became a mainstay of the world's fleets into the early 19th century when they began to be supplanted by new designs and by the introduction of steam powered ironclads.
Nine ships of the French Navy have borne the name Redoutable ("Redoubtable"):
Aigle was a 74-gun French ship of the line built at Rochefort in 1800.
Neptune was a Bucentaure-class 80-gun ship of the line of the French Navy. Built during the last years of the French Revolutionary Wars she was launched at the beginning of the Napoleonic Wars. Her brief career with the French included several major battles, though she spent the last 12 years of her life under the Spanish flag.
Pluton was a Téméraire class 74-gun French ship of the line built at Toulon. She was one of two prototypes for a derivative sub-class of the original design; this sub-class was specially intended for construction in some of the shipyards in states occupied by the French, where there was less depth of water than in the main French shipyards. Although the Pluton were built at Toulon, all other vessels of this sub-class were built in these overseas yards, notably at Antwerp but also at Genoa, Trieste, Venice, Amsterdam, Flushing and Rotterdam.
Six ships of the French Navy have borne the name Borda in honour of Jean-Charles de Borda. From 1839 it has been a tradition that the main schoolship of the École navale, a repurposed capital ship, be renamed Borda in this role.
At least 10 ships of the French Navy have borne the name Intrépide ("Intrepid"):
Jean-Baptiste Philibert Willaumez was a French sailor, Navy officer, and admiral of the First French Empire.
The Algésiras class was a late type of 90-gun ships of the line used by the French navy. They were designed from the beginning to use a combination of sail and steam engine for propulsion.
The Ville de Nantes class was a late type of ship of the line of the French Navy, the last to be produced before pre-Dreadnought battleships came to dominate naval warfare. Designed as fast, steam and sail ships carrying 90 guns, they were the last development of the Napoléon concept, after the Algésiras class embodied the first production batch.
Four ships of the French Navy have borne the name Impérial or Impériale:
The Capture of the Rosily Squadron took place on 14 June 1808, in Cadiz, Spain, nearly three years after the Battle of Trafalgar, during the uprising against the French invaders. Five French ships of the line and a frigate were still in the port, having remained there since the British victory. French Admiral Rosily, after an engagement with the Spanish lasting five days, surrendered his entire squadron with the four thousand seamen then on board.
Six ships of the French Navy have borne the name Jupiter:
The Napoléon class was a late type of 90-gun ships of the line of the French Navy, and the first type of ship of the line designed from the start to incorporate a steam engine.
The Arcole was a 90-gun Algésiras-class steam ship of the line of the French Navy.
The Intrépide was a 90-gun Algésiras-class steam ship of the line of the French Navy.
