Admiral Gephardt was the commander of the French Northern Fleet. He was a typical member of the Brest Faction, a group that considered the Royal Navy their rival and refused to fall behind.
But in fact, Admiral Gephardt was just "unwilling" rather than capable. He occasionally confided to his subordinates, "All we are doing might be nothing more than a fish struggling helplessly in a net, and in the end, we'll realize that nothing can be changed."
His subordinates understood.
The gap between the French Navy and the Royal Navy was so vast that it might not be something human effort and personal will could change, and they had to accept this reality.
Just like in the battles at the Dardanelles Strait, although France and Britain were equal Allies, it was naturally the Royal Navy that commanded the French Fleet in combat, without any opposition raised.
