Velocity Made Good (VMG) is a sailing metric measuring a boat's actual speed directly toward a windward mark or away from a leeward mark, rather than its raw speed through the water. It balances boat speed with sailing angle to optimize progress toward a destination. VMG is calculated using GPS or wind transducers to maximize efficiency.

Key Aspects of VMG:
Upwind vs. Downwind: VMG is critical for navigating to a mark that cannot be sailed to directly.

Upwind: Highest VMG is found by balancing speed and angle to the wind.

Downwind: Highest VMG involves sailing at a deeper angle (further from the wind).

It is essential to understand that a faster boat speed does not always guarantee a higher VMG; for instance, bearing away might increase speed, but it often lowers VMG by increasing the distance to the mark.

Core Concept
A sailboat cannot sail directly into the wind (the "no-go zone"). To reach an upwind destination, it must sail at an angle. VMG measures how much of the boat's actual speed through the water is actually contributing to closing the distance to the wind or a specific mark.

The Trade-off: Sailing closer to the wind (pinching) shortens the distance to the mark but significantly reduces boat speed. Sailing further from the wind (footing) increases boat speed but adds a lot of extra distance to travel.

The Goal: Maximize VMG to find the "sweet spot" where the combination of speed and angle results in the fastest progress toward the goal.