Three English ships in stays. On the left is a lee bow view of a small ship close-hauled on the port tack under fore course, mizzen, topsails and main topgallant; the luff of her foresail lifting. On the right is a starboard broadside view of a ship with her fore topsail aback and her main topsail and mizzen filled on the port tack. Another ship also aback is in the centre middle-distance.

This is part of a group of 13 drawings cut from an album of Van de Velde drawings bound up by Paul Sandby. All the drawings are very rapidly and broadly done in pencil. There are other drawings of this group in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.