On launch she was under command of Captain John Brisbane. She had a huge crew of 550 men. Under Brisbane she was part of the major British attack on the Caracas convoy in January 1780.[1]
She fought at the battles of Cape St Vincent and Martinique in 1780, and the battles of St. Kitts and the Saintes in 1782.
On 12 September 1780 Alcide captured the letter of marque Pocahontas. The Royal Navy took her into service as .
In January 1782 she took part in the Battle of St Kitts (aka the Battle of Frigate Bay).[2]
On 12 April 1782 Alcide was third in line of attack against the French fleet at the Battle of the Saintes, under the command of Captain Charles Thomson.[3]
Alcide took part in operations against Corsica in September 1793, where she served as flagship to Commodore Robert Linzee.
She was paid off in Portsmouth in 1794 and a survey had found her uneconomic to repair.[4]
She was used as a receiving ship in Portsmouth Dock from 1802 until 1817, having had all guns removed. Alcide was broken up at Portsmouth in April 1817.