The English king Alfred the Great (849-899), in discussion of his plans on the construction of a fleet of ???ongships??to oppose the older and smaller Danish warships. The Anglo-Saxon Chronical claims how his new design was an improvement upon the standard warships of the day, having sixty oars, and being nearly twice the length of an ordinary viking ship. They were not only larger, but swifter, steadier, and rode higher in the water than other warships. Despite some design drawbacks, in 896 Alfred's new model fleet of nine ships successfully defeated a Danish enemy fleet of six pirate ships off the coast of southern England. Alfred halted the conquest of England by the Danes during his reign.