When were boats first able to tack ?

[doubleeboy]

A nonsailing friend who asks weekly about the admiral and my journey with sailing and our first boat asked out of the blue today did I know when boats first were able to tack and sail close to the wind?

I have no idea, can anybody fill us in?

Thank you
michael

[bubb2]

Bermuda rig - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[RichH]

Probably in prehistoric times, ... the Micronesian "Proa" maybe being one of the best examples, then followed by the "crab-claw" rig of the Polynesians and other early Pacific maritime cultures.

[mccary]

Sailing ships have been able to tack for a long time. A square rigged ship can sail into the wind and tack, not as close to the wind as a modern sloop, but they still can tack. Egyptian DOWs can tack and they are ancient boats. Columbus would never made the "new" world if he couldn't tack.