In combat, a couple of seconds can determine the whole battle. Naturally, you want to be the one accomplishing your goals, and stopping your foes; combat on the high seas is no different in this respect. However, ship to ship battles require coordination among dozens, if not hundreds, of people, and it is very easy for things to go wrong. Someone with a deep understanding of naval combat can get the most out of his crew, making them work faster and more efficiently, resulting in much faster response times from the ship.