The drawing shows a panoramic view of the two fleets just before they engaged, viewed from the head of the Allied line. Both fleets are sailing in parallel lines, the Dutch to the leeward. The centres have the wind on the port quarter, but the vans have hauled their wind.

From left to right:
First quarter: foreground, van de Velde in an English ketch (‘vande velde’); middle distance, four ships of the red squadron (‘root’) and six French ships (‘frans’); background, Schram, Vice-Admiral of the Dutch rear (incorrectly inscribed ‘sweers’) and Tromp (‘tromp’).

Second quarter: middle distance, Harman (‘root s Jan harmens’) in the ‘London’ (‘de Londen’) with three of his own division (‘root’), and nine French; background, De Haen (‘haen’), De Liefde (‘de liefde’), De Ruyter (‘ruijter’) and Jan van Nes (‘Jan van nes’), who is on the starboard tack.

Third quarter: the rest of Harman’s division (‘root’), three English and five French ships (here the incorrect note ‘graff hosserij’); then d’Estrées (‘fransen visdr van vrancrijck’), with about six French ships to leeward and three English luffing up to windward; on his weather quarter, Rupert and two English ships; another English ship (rot) in the foreground with the note ‘hier begint esquadre van root visdr harmans’. Background, Aert van Nes (‘Ldr aerd van nes’); in the distance, Banckert and the Zeeland squadron (‘de zeeuwen’); there is a space and then the blue squadron begins, the van led by Kempthorne (‘kenthorn’).

Fourth quarter: foreground, several English ships; middle distance, Chicheley incorrectly noted as it the ‘St Andrew’ (‘dyddlij/ s andreas’) and beyond him, the French second-in-command, Rear-Admiral Des Ardens with several of his division, astern of him; background, the rest of the blue squadron, Spragge (‘sprag’) and Ossory (‘Lord hosserij’), close-hauled standing towards the main fleet.

The drawing was executed at sea in panoramic form, as the fleet sailed past Willem van de Velde the Elder’s ketch. Van de Velde began to draw the Dutch fleet on an horizon partly obscured by the Allied fleet; this horizon, however, has been erased and redrawn, probably after the battle, two inches higher.