The artillery-practice was certainly not much to the credit of either nation.
"If her Majesty's ships had been manned with a full supply of good gunners," said honest William Thomas, an old artilleryman, "it would have been the woefullest time ever the Spaniard took in hand, and the most noble victory ever heard of would have been her Majesty's.

But our sins were the cause that so much powder and shot were spent, so long time in fight, and in comparison so little harm done.

It were greatly to be wished that her Majesty were no longer deceived in this way." Yet the English, at any rate, had succeeded in displaying their seamanship, if not their gunnery, to advantage.

In vain the unwieldly hulks and galleons had attempted to grapple with their light-winged foes, who pelted them, braved them, damaged their sails and gearing; and then danced lightly off into the distance; until at last, as night fell, the wind came out from the west again, and the English regained and kept the weather-gage.
The Queen's fleet, now divided into four squadrons, under Howard, Drake, Hawkins, and Frobisher, amounted to near one hundred sail, exclusive of Lord Henry Seymour's division, which was cruising in the Straits of Dover.

But few of all this number were ships of war however, and the merchant vessels; although zealous and active enough, were not thought very effective.