the wind blows against the sail's and pushes the boat forward
A sailing boat can not sail directly upwind, sail at about 45 degrees to the wind and tack (turn the boat through the wind) to the other side of the wind and continue in this zig-zag manner up wind.
A boat can sail into the wind by sailing backwards and forwards (tacking) at an angle to the wind and so making her way up.
Wind!
A sail is a piece of fabric attached to a boat, causing the wind to drive the boat along.
Lateen sails work in much the same way that most other triangular sails work. If the wind is behind the sail it will push the boat/ship/craft/vessel forward. But suppose that the boat is at right angles to the wind. What happens then? The sail is let out on the side of the boat that away from the wind. The wind blows against the surface of the sail. It might strike the surface at an angle of, say 140o. The wind escapes from the side of the sail at its widest point, and the boat slides towards the opposite direction i.e. the direction the boat is facing, its keel preventing it from simply moving/sliding in the water in a path directly away from the wind This is a basic explanation of how a Lateen sail works. Of course, it doesn't fully explain how a boat with Lateen sails can sail almost directly into the wind! For more information, see 'Related links' below.
the force is there and it is easier to row
a boat a sail and the wind
With a square rigged sail, the wind simply pushes the boat along. With a fore and aft rigged sail, the wind is caught at an angle and slices on past the sail, pushing the sail hard down wind and a bit forward. A deep keel on the bottom of the sail boat tries to stop the downwind drift and, as a result of a bit of a push forward on the sail, the sail boat manages to scoot across the wind a bit. Square rigged ship: http://sailing-ships.oktett.net/golden-state.jpg The wind just blows the boat down wind. Fore and aft rigged sailboat (a sloop) http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_98ZiJEAKrlI/Rql8iSS1u5I/AAAAAAAAFc4/hwyku_OY29E/s400/9%2Bsm%2Bsb%2Bpassing.jpg Note that the sail boat is tipped over a bit (heeling). This is due to the wind trying to push the sail boat down wind and the bottom of the sail boat (the keel) trying to stop the drift down wind. The wind is slicing off the sails and pushes the sail boat a head a bit.
Because there is more surface area for the wind to push against, so therefore increasing the speed of the boat.
A little wind can move a boat depending on the size and weight of the boat.
A sailboat.