2 min read · Updated 19 May 2026
VMG — velocity made good — is the part of a boat's speed measured directly towards the wind, or directly away from it, rather than its raw speed through the water. It is one of the most important numbers in racing, because it captures real progress towards a windward or leeward mark rather than just how fast the boat happens to be moving. Sailing well is, in large part, the art of maximising VMG.
Why VMG exists
A boat cannot sail straight into the wind, and it is slow sailing dead downwind, so on the legs that matter most it is never pointed exactly at the mark. Upwind it sails close-hauled at an angle and tacks; downwind, especially on a fast boat, it sails broader, quicker angles and gybes. In both cases the boat is travelling partly across the wind, not straight up or down it.
VMG strips that out. It measures only the component of the boat's speed in the direction of the wind — the progress that actually counts towards the mark. The straight-line distance sailed is longer, but the time to the mark is shorter, which is the whole point.
Speed is not the same as VMG
It is tempting to think the fastest boat is winning, but raw boat speed and VMG are different things. Bearing away from the wind makes a boat go faster through the water, but if it is now heading away from the mark, its VMG can fall. Pointing higher heads more directly at an upwind mark, but pinch too high and the boat slows and stalls, and VMG drops again.
The best VMG sits at a balance point — an angle and speed combination that is usually neither the absolute fastest nor the highest course, but the one that makes the most ground towards the mark. Finding and holding it is a constant job for the helmsman and trimmers.
Sailing to VMG
Crews find their best VMG angle using instruments and feel, then steer and trim to hold it. The target figures come from the boat's polars — a model of how fast it should go at every wind angle and strength. Upwind, the crew balance pointing against speed; downwind, they sail the hot angles that a fast boat rewards and gybe between them. On a light, quick boat the gains are large, because sailing the right angle lets it build the apparent wind that drives it faster still. For more performance terms and the rig-and-sail controls behind them, see the sailing terms glossary.
Frequently asked questions
- What does VMG mean in sailing?
- VMG stands for velocity made good — the component of a boat's speed measured directly towards the wind (upwind) or directly away from it (downwind), rather than its raw speed through the water. Because boats cannot sail straight into the wind and are slow dead downwind, VMG measures real progress towards a windward or leeward mark.
- Why is sailing fast not the same as good VMG?
- A boat can sail quickly through the water on an angle that is not taking it efficiently towards the mark. Bearing away to go faster, or pointing higher to go straighter, both have a cost. The best VMG is the angle and speed combination that makes the most progress in the direction of the mark, which is usually neither the fastest nor the highest course.
- How do crews sail to VMG?
- Crews use instruments and feel to find the angle that maximises VMG for the current wind, then steer and trim to hold it. Upwind that means balancing pointing against speed; downwind it means sailing broader, faster angles and gybing between them rather than running dead at the mark. Target VMG figures come from the boat's polars.
- What is the difference between VMG and boat speed?
- Boat speed is how fast the boat moves through the water in any direction. VMG is only the part of that speed aimed directly up or down the wind. A boat reaching across the wind can have high boat speed but low VMG towards an upwind mark, which is why racers watch VMG, not just speed, on the windward and downwind legs.