Difference between the French and the Dutch flags

**Rum_Pirate** · 09-09-11, 03:03

A very good sailor once told this to me as we sailed past two yacht, one French and one Dutch, on his yacht,

The Dutch were better sailors than the French, or at least their flag designers were.

How is that I asked.

Well if you look at both flags and think of both of them after they have aged quite a bit, the ends will become damaged due to flogging in the breeze. Despite this even if a third or more of the flag is gone you will still be able to recognise the Dutch flag, unlike the French one, because with a third or gone it will be a Blue and White one or just a blue one. .

**jimbaerselman** · 09-09-11, 07:48

Fascinated by the reversal of P & Q in your pretty picture!

**Magaz97** · 09-09-11, 08:28

I dont understand the flags above, why are they different, am I missing something strikingly obvious?

**sarabande** · 09-09-11, 08:35

that is a pic of historical Code Flags. I think he has not linked to the pic he intended.

**Victoria Sponge** · 09-09-11, 08:39

The way I tell the difference between the French and Dutch flags is that the Dutch are more laid back, thus so is their flag!

**Twister_Ken** · 09-09-11, 08:53

Originally Posted by Lady Celestial

The way I tell the difference between the French and Dutch flags is that the Dutch are more laid back, thus so is their flag!

The stripes:
France - fertical
Holland - horizontal

**Victoria Sponge** · 09-09-11, 08:55

Originally Posted by Twister_Ken

The stripes:
France - fertical
Holland - horizontal

Yes, I always think of the Dutch as being pretty horizontal. What is this fertical thing?

**fantasia7628** · 09-09-11, 09:04

Originally Posted by Rum_Pirate

A very good sailor once told this to me as we sailed past two yacht, one French and one Dutch, on his yacht,

The Dutch were better sailors than the French, or at least their flag designers were.

How is that I asked.

Well if you look at both flags and think of both of them after they have aged quite a bit, the ends will become damaged due to flogging in the breeze. Despite this even if a third or more of the flag is gone you will still be able to recognise the Dutch flag, unlike the French one, because with a third or gone it will be a Blue and White one or just a blue one. .

The pennants above are confusing, if not just wrong for modern usage. Are they from a historic RN source?