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

well, luckily the majority of the time the wind IS blowing generally perpendicular to the shoreline due to a phenomena called the land-sea breeze.

but, even if that isn’t the case wind surfers CAN “sail” into the wind by zig zagging back and forth at 45 degree angles from the wind.

When they do this, they use the wind to push them left or right, so the kite/sail is still getting blown by the wind. But then they angle the rudder of the board at a 45 degrees angle, so as the wind blows their sail to the right, the rudder is directing the surfer both to the right AND forward into the wind.