Second-rate

They were popular as flagships of admirals commanding the Windward and/or Leeward Islands station, which was usually a Rear-admiral of the red.[1] As speed is mainly determined by length along the waterline, the three-deck second-rate was a slow sailer compared to both its two-deck equivalent and the first-rate ships.A near disastrous example of the three-decker's maladroitness occurred on 25 December 1796 when, on sighting the enemy, the Channel Fleet attempted a hurried departure from Spithead: Four second-rates collided with one another while another ran aground.[4] Apart from its unhandiness, in terms of sheer firepower it was matched or even out-gunned by many of the large 80-gun and 74-gun two-deckers used by the French and Spanish navies.The term "second-rate" has since passed into general usage as an adjective used to mean of suboptimal quality, inferior to something that is "first-rate".
HMS Asia , a second-rate of the Royal Navy ( John Ward , date unknown)
A second-rate of the Portuguese Navy in 1780
Building Act 1774HMS AsiaRoyal NavyJohn Wardrating system of the Royal Navywarshipsship of the linefirst ratesline of battleRear-admiral of the redPortuguese Navytons burthengun deckcarronadesforecastlesquarterdecksHMS PrinceNelsonTrafalgarHMS DreadnoughtSpithead74-gunfirst-rateEarly ModernShips of the lineMan-of-warThird-rateFourth-rateFrigatesFifth-rateSixth-rateSloop-of-warBomb vesselFire shipCutterGunboatPost shipSchooner