Eli5 , How do windsurfers get back to where they started if the wind is only blowing one way?

Question

The only way I can think that this would be possible is if the wind was blowing directly onshore?

Edit: thanks for all the well thought out replies. I think I’ve got it figured out know, I’ve always Been a bit confused about ships tacking into to wind and I think the key thing I was missing was the sail being using like as an airfoil creating pull, used in tandem with with the fins/keel .

In: 341

Answer 1

when trying to sail towards the direction of the wind you leverage the pressure of the wind against the keel in the water at an angle that will push/pull it sideways to the wind but also slightly into the wind. you’re now making slow progress into the wind but you’re also moving sideways to where you want to go, so you zigzag left and right to negate this sideways movement. much like when you’re hiking up a mountain zigzagging up switch backs, the progress is slow but you get there eventually.