The news of the discovery of the New World, full of wonders and treasures, spread like wildfire all around the Europe of its times, increasing in size and wealth as it crossed borders.  The West Indies route became and immense golden lantern that attracted in crowds corsairs, pirates and adventures of all kinds and nationality.

The discovery of America will mean un unimaginable source of wealth to Spain, who will try by all means to exploit it exclusively by the design of a naval system never seen before.  The West Indies Fleet was a pioneer regular merchant line, that strongly protected by the Spanish Armada, connected twice a year, the metropolis with its far colonies.

The rest of European powers will try, for more than two centuries, to break this Spanish monopoly and access to this richness, using for this purpose all their means at reach; smuggling, piracy, privateering or the direct attack to the Fleet.

But it will not be an easy task…