Originally posted by knighttemplar1960:

Winds do that. Real sail boats have to tack. Tacking works in game and its still faster than paddling. If you think that the game may be programmed to have foul winds when you start sailing, start out in the opposite direction from that which you wish to go, and see if the wind treats you any better .

Tacking really isn't worth it when just traveling from point A to B. Paddling is quite fast in this game and it will get you to your destination much faster. On top of that the game sometimes screws with you by changing wind direction just when you are about to turn after having gone at an angle for quite a while and then it will be directly against you in your new direction.
The only practical use of tacking is when you just want to cover more ground either to explore or to spawn serpents. Alternatively, to escape serpents.