I went out yesterday in gusty c 10 - 16kts.Gusts would last about 1 - 300m then a lull about 100m +.
I practised bearing off in the gust to get going and then coming up.I usually just stay on course and pull the sail on to get going in the gusts.
Anyway that worked ok & I worked upwind a fair way. I had my front foot in the strap and the rear one on the edge of the board behind it or in front of the rear strap and the harness lines felt ok - I could sail no hands occasionally so they felt balanced.
I usually need to get out of the rear strap working upwind unless its really howling & I'm too scared to.Is that normal? Maybe the boards a bit big for me? 125ltre...
I decided the upwind seemed to be going ok so for once I'd practise trying to go downwind more. I feel I rarely seem to get lower than a close reach , rarely a beam reach.I suppose I must but it doesn't feel like it.
I let the outhaul off a bit for once and then tried to go off the wind. It felt yuck. Still gusty 10 -16kts.The sail felt flat or weird + I felt like the harness lines needed to be further back so I moved them back c 3" each.Still felt RS.( port tack) .I didn't really get to test the other as by the time I was set up ready to go the wind had died to c 10 - 12kts [}:)]
Do the lines need to go back for off the wind? Maybe there wasn't enough wind as I was having to work hard to plane going upwind..??
I thought maybe the lines were too far forward to start with but as I said everything was balanced and they were further back than I usually have them. Mast foot was a bit forward of centre possy. Leech loose for top 2 1/2 - 3 panels/ outhaul off c2cm from neutral.( for downwind on a bit for the upwind) KA concept 6.6m
Anyway so much for the lovely downwind run..yuck..

Sue,

You'll find you were just underpowered for a downwinder, When going off the wind it does not take much to match or even out run the wind. You really have to pick your gusts or go with a bigger sail, The more power you have the deeper you can head off the wind. You should not need to adjust your lines from your normal sailing position for a downwinder, I had similar conditions yesterday with my 6.2 and 112. Going off the wind was pointless most of the time as I'd just stall within a few hundred meters and have to waste energy pumping back onto the plain. But saying that there was the odd gust that would lure me into a down wind run. Just like all things in windsurfing, Right conditions, Right equipment, Right time.

....As for the back foot out of the strap to get up wind, It works for me too.

Cheers.

If you go deep off the wind and get your board speed up, you will lose alot of power in the sail. For the guys going really fast off the wind, they are probably overpowered or very powered up on a reach or upwind, but when they turn off the wind, the board speeds up, and apparent wind goes down, and they will lose alot of power in the sail. Ideally for really high speeds (40+ knots) you are probably overpowered before reaching (but have the nerve and skill to suck it up until the board speed picks up), and fully powered when deep downwind.

I know whenever I have done my highest GPS speeds, the sail power felt completely limp. Felt like I could take another 10-15knots... I start fiddling with sheet angles to try to find more power... but reaching before I turned off the wind, I was fully powered up and struggling for sail control. When going fast on flat water off the wind it does not feel nearly as fast as it is (in terms of sail power. Board control in chop is another story!!).