Is it the apparent wind created by forward momentum? Is it possible to go downwind faster than the wind speed?
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I think most people are skipping this important point. Instead of thinking of wind in terms of absolute speed, think of it in terms of force applied.
Imagine an object without friction in outer space. If you apply force, it accelerates and then continues to move. It doesn’t slow down to a stop. Apply more force and it speeds up, even if that force is minimal.
A sailboat is similar. If you push it, it will continue to move. Now continuously apply more force from the wind. The sailboat accelerates. The wind is a force applied to the boat, not like a conveyer belt that drags it to a stop when the wind stops. If wind stops, the boat continues to stay in motion until friction and other opposing forces eventually cause it to slow.
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