Charles' Genoese allies have collected several large fleets of galleys, and Lauria determines to attack Charles' galleys, which are at Naples, before these can join them and hunt down the Aragonese fleet.

He uses the cover of darkness to arrive off Naples, where he makes several raids ashore to try to tempt Charles of Salerno out where he could be fought.

On the night of June 4, Lauria captures two Provençal galleys sent ahead by Charles' ally and father Charles I of Naples, who is heading south from Genoa.

Charles has definite orders to stay in port and wait for his allies, but his impetuousness overcomes his initial reluctance and after Lauria's galleys approach closely, the Neapolitans come out in single file and chase them in a disorganized manner southward.

Lauria feigns retreat and keeps ahead of them until he draws close to ten or so galleys he had left near Castellammare, then turns and forms a crescent formation, with the galleys that had joined at the rear, and attacks Charles' fleet from the sides, where galleys are the most vulnerable.

Charles' fifteen to eighteen royal galleys flee back to Naples, leaving the nine to thirteen French-crewed galleys to be captured.

Charles' galley is the last to be captured, and surrenders only when Lauria sends divers overboard in order to sink it.

Charles will be kept prisoner until Edward I of England intervenes in 1288.