I took out my copy of Flying Colors last night and pushed the pieces around for an hour or so (here's an image of the scenario). The rules aren't terribly complicated, but there are a few nit-picky questions, but most of them are commonsense enough.
Anyway, the game seems to play fast enough. I probably spent 1.5 hours to set up (finding the right ships takes a while), and play three turns. Both lines advanced, and on Turn 2 the lead spanish ship turned and split two British ships, firing a full raking ("Crossing the T") broadside on each one, causing reasonable damage on them and taking minor fire in return. However, the third British ship broke to wound it, and by turn three the Spaniard was in danger of sinking, but had demasted one british ship and wounded another.
Some thoughts:
- I'm no expert, but the game feels close to what I've read (some O'Brien). With a small scenario, 2-3 hours would be reasonable. With a bigger scenario ... well. There are plenty of scenarios, and if you want to play The Bloody 1st of June or Trafalgar, have at it.
- The command rules are interesting. Commanders can control any ships within range, or ships can form formations (each ship within a few hexes of the next, all pointed in the same direction). Formation command means that if one ship makes a break for it, it can easily find itself out of command. So the commanders matter quite a bit. Lots of commanders mean you can have many small formations spread apart, going every which way.
- The fire decisions are interesting, too. Not only do you have to shoot (and maneuver to get a shot, if you aren't just daming the carronades) you get to aim high (for the rigging) or low (hull), each with interesting choices. Defenders being fired open have the option to shoot back first, so when to fire is also a point.
- The player aid (a four-page heavy stock cardboard) probably has a half a page of blank space ... and doesn't have the sequence of play anywhere. And there's only one player aid. Given that you need the (large) combat charts to fire, you'll probably make a spare of that and some other things.
- In each scenario, one side has an "Audacity" rating, which adds to their firepower, and subtracts from the opponents. That's a big advantage. British (and French) also get a to-hit bonus reflecting their various styles. In the scenario the British are more audacious than the Spanish (by one point), If a British ship had split two Spaniards, it may have crippled them both before succumbing. I've skimmed comsimworld, and I wonder which scenarios are close, and which are likely to be runaways.
Update: And if you haven't, be sure to check out this paper on the agency problems of the British Navy during the Age of Sail.