Sailing performance guide
Velocity made good (VMG)
VMG is the component of boat speed that moves the boat directly toward or away from the wind.
VMG = boat speed × cos(angle to the target axis)
Beat and run VMG
Beat VMG measures useful upwind progress while tacking. Run VMG measures downwind progress; sailing hotter angles can produce better VMG than pointing directly downwind.
Using predicted values
Sailboat Performance VMG outputs are model estimates. Real results vary with sails, trim, crew, waves, current, and measurement conventions.
Apply it to a real design
Calculate these metrics for a sailboat, then compare the result with catalog models.
Open the calculator