 Despite having possibly as few as 32 and certainly not more than 35 ships to fight as many as 48 English ones, de Ruyter had regained the weather gauge while Albemarle and Rupert were attacking Tromp.During the late morning and early afternoon, the two fleets passed and repassed each other.Albemarle made no attempt to keep de Vries from joining the main Dutch fleet, which he did around noon.