Designed based on plans by Jacques-Noël Sané, and updated by Maillot, she and her sister (Pluton) were the prototypes of a new variant of the Téméraire class designed to have a smaller draught, allowing the production of ships of the line in the shallow harbour of Antwerp. The construction of Borée was delayed due to a lack of timber, causing her completion date to fall behind that of Pluton, a sistership then under construction. Borée was retro-fitted with improvements introduced on Pluton.