VMG - How fast are you really going?

 VMG: How Fast Are You Really Going?

Going fast and getting somewhere fast are not necessarily the same thing. In this practical talk, Oleg Lebedev explores Velocity Made Good (VMG) from first principles — what it actually measures, why the fastest boat speed may not produce the fastest progress, and the crucial question often overlooked: relative to what?

Using simple mathematics, sailing examples and an offshore racing experience where 4 knots proved rather more useful than a theoretical 7, the talk compares VMG relative to the wind with progress towards the mark (VMC), explores both upwind and downwind sailing, and looks at what happens when the two no longer agree.

Link to Click here for the VMG calculator

The aim is not simply to understand another number on the instruments, but to understand what that number is actually telling us.