Why didn't Royal Navy (columns of) ships turn outwards, rather than inwards?

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Accepted answer

In combat, ships of the era needed to maneuver precisely to bring their power to bear at just the right moment.

In training, they need to maneuver precisely, in close proximity to each other, so they have confidence that they can do it in combat.

Admiral Tryon is dead, we cannot know what he intended to happen. But it seems obvious that he thought the maneuvering was safe enough for peacetime training purposes.

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