HMS ''Hardi'' was built at

Cowes Cowes () is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina, facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east bank. The two towns are linked by the Cowes Floa ...

for Spanish owners. In 1796, she became the French privateer ''Hardi''. The

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

captured her in 1797 and sold her in 1800. Florentin Lavallée commissioned ''Hardi'' at

Brest Brest may refer to: Places *Brest, Belarus **Brest Region **Brest Airport **Brest Fortress *Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria *Břest, Czech Republic *Brest, France **Arrondissement of Brest **Brest Bretagne Airport ** Château de Brest *Brest, ...

in October 1796. She was armed with eighteen 8-pounder guns and had a crew of 130–164 men, under the command of Captain Cousin. In February 1797 ''Hardi'', Captain Cousell, captured ''Antelope''. ''Antelope'' had been sailing from Charleston to London when she was taken. Late in March 1797, Vice-Admiral Lord

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received intelligence that a French cruiser had been seen off the Skellocks on the coast of Ireland. Kingsmill dispatched on 28 March, and on 1 April ''Hazard'' found the French vessel. After a chase of seven hours, ''Hazard'' caught her quarry, but only because the privateer had lost both topmasts. The privateer was the brig ''Hardi'', of 18 guns and 130 men. (Another source gives her complement as 164 men.) ''Hardi'' had been built at Cowes, about two years earlier, for the Spaniards. ''Hardi'' had left

on 17 March and during her cruise had escaped two British frigates that had chased her. She had captured only one prize, a small Portuguese vessel of little value. ''Hazard'' took ''Hardie'' to

Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

. ''Hardie'' arrived at Portsmouth on 16 April. The Navy acquired ''Hardi'', and classified her as a sloop of 18 guns. There is no record of her having seen active service.

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* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hardi (1795) 1790s ships Privateer ships of France Captured ships Sloops of the Royal Navy