<Tr> <Td> Armour: </Td> <Td> None </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Notes: </Td> <Td> Sail area: 386 m2 </Td> </Tr> <P> Golden Hind was an English galleon best known for her privateering circumnavigation of the globe between 1577 and 1580, captained by Sir Francis Drake . She was originally known as Pelican, but was renamed by Drake mid-voyage in 1578, in honour of his patron, Sir Christopher Hatton, whose crest was a golden' hind' (a female red deer). Hatton was one of the principal sponsors of Drake's world voyage . There is one full - size replica in existence in London, on the south bank of the Thames . </P> <P> In 1577, Queen Elizabeth partly sponsored Sir Francis Drake as the leader of an expedition intended to pass around South America through the Strait of Magellan and to explore the coast that lay beyond . The queen's support was advantageous; Drake had official approval to benefit himself and the queen as well as to cause the maximum damage to the Spaniards . This would eventually culminate in the Anglo--Spanish War . Before setting sail, Drake met the queen face - to - face for the first time and she said to him, "We would gladly be revenged on the King of Spain for divers injuries that we have received ." The explicit object was to "find out places meet to have traffic ." Drake, however, acted as a privateer, with unofficial support from Queen Elizabeth . </P>

Which 16th-century explorer sailed around the world in a ship called the golden hinde