She was built according to norms laid down by French shipbuilders in the 1730s and 1740s which had aimed at a good combination of low cost and high manoeuvrability and armament, in the face of a numerically-superior British Royal Navy.

[5] This included wine, vinegar, oil, flour, condiments, cheese, fruits, dry vegetables and even livestock which would be butchered on board.

[5] Sphinx fought as part of Louis Guillouet d'Orvilliers's fleet against Augustus Keppel's force at the Battle of Ushant on 27 July 1778, captained by comte de Soulanges.

[2] She formed part of the Blue Squadron, the rear guard commanded by Louis-Philippe d'Orléans, duc de Chartres.

She came within pistol range of his opposite number, HMS Burford (Captain Peter Rainier) before opening fire.

She was barely ten years old but had already been outclassed - the American War of Independence had shown that she and her type were not powerful enough and the naval ministry had already begun to prioritise building 74-gun ships, a drive that came to its final fruition with the designs of Borda and Sané.