Hondo iyi yakaitika pakati pa 17 na 19 Gunyana 1639 apo chikwata chechiDutch chaitungamirirwa naAdmiral Maarten Tromp naAdmiral Witte Corneliszoon de With, chakasangana nechikepe chikuru zvikuru asi chisina kutungamirirwa zvakanaka cheSpain chaitungamirirwa naAntonio D'Oquendo, chaisanganisira varume 40 kusvika ku45 vehondo uye ngarava dzekutakura makumi mana kusvika makumi mashanu dzakazadzwa nevarwi vechiSpanish vanosvika zviuru gumi nezvitatu vaiendeswa kuDunkirk. Tromp nengarava gumi nembiri vakaona ngarava dzeSpain musi wa16, asi vakamirira de With kuti vasvike nedzimwe ngarava shanu vasati varwisa. Pasinei nehuwandu hwake hwehuwandu Tromp akawana ruoko rwepamusoro muhondo yakaramba ichienderera kusvika husiku. Zuva rakatevera, Zeeland Commodore Joost Banckert akasvika kuzosimbisa maDutch nedzimwe ngarava gumi nembiri. Kurwa kwakaramba kuchipera kusvikira pfuti dzechiDutch dzapera apo D'Oquendo akadzokera kuOrequendo munzira yeDowns achitarisira kudzi
, apo D'Oquendo akakundwa zvine mutsindo.