Sailing VMG (Velocity Made Good) Calculator
Compute the velocity made good (VMG) toward the wind from boat speed and true-wind angle, the key upwind-sailing performance metric.
How to Use the Sailing VMG (Velocity Made Good) Calculator
- Enter boat speed in knots.
- Enter the angle between your heading and the true wind in degrees.
- Click Calculate.
Casi d'Uso
- •Race tactics.
- •Sail-trim tuning.
- •Understanding polar diagrams.
Formula
VMG = boat_speed × cos(angle_to_wind). Positive values mean closing on the upwind mark; negative values mean running downwind.
Domande Frequenti
What is optimal upwind angle?
Most cruising sailboats sail about 40–50° off the wind for best upwind VMG. Racing boats can pinch closer but lose boat speed.
What about downwind?
Downwind VMG is best reached via broad-reach gybe angles (140–160°) rather than dead-downwind, because boat speed increases faster than the cosine loss.