I’ve been rigging it ‘to spec’ but will try a bit more downhaul next time. I have found that when I increase the downhaul to the point where the sail is actually really smooth, then the top is very loose (like a windvane) and it may actually rattle when going upwind. I don’t know maybe I will try to get hold of a different mast or play around with some tip/bottom extensions to see what happens.
I really appreciate your comments.

The Stock Drake fin won’t be as friendly as a handmade custom fin at the top of the wind range, but you should still be able to get out on the water with it. I assume you are using a Starboard board then? – what model?

Sounds like there are no tricks to it then…just hard work.

If I was able to ‘get going’ in 20+ on my 11m then I could see that maybe my fin (stock Drake 19 btw) is lifting too much or whatever but the weird thing is that in those winds…when I am standing at the beach I literally cannot sheet the sail in enough to get forward momentum.

It just slams down on me or catapults me.

I weigh about 75kg and probably just need to develop a bit more muscle as you suggested.

What kind of sail / board / fin combo are you using?

I think sailing FW in high winds is about 50% strength, 25% technique and 25% gear. Often you will see the top sailors out on 11m sails in +25 knots. They are using very good fins which allow them to keep the board in control in such strong winds. There’s also the factor that using a bigger sail with a wider boom length sometimes actually HELPS keep the board flat on the water with the extra weight (however it does make tacks/gybes considerably more difficult).

Time on the water is the other thing. If you were to go and rig your 11m and sail it in +20 knots 3-days a week for a few months you’d have no trouble with it anymore!

Strength is something everyone forgets to put in the occasion. I use quite a big sail in strong winds for my size currently (I’m 78kg / 185cm). When I was 18 I couldn’t hold on to my 11m in much over 20 knots even though I was 78kg back then also. When I got to 20-21 I had done a few years in the gym and improved my strength immensely (however I was still the same weight/height) and suddenly it was much easier to hang on to big sails.

The gear tuning is all about control. Mast track right forward, harness lines a touch longer. Some people put their booms lower but I actually think this doesn’t help as you don’t get as much leverage against the fin with your bodyweight with a low boom so you can’t push against the fin when the gust hits you and you get lifted.

Is there some kind of secret to being able to sail a 10/11m in 25 kts?

I can ‘handle’ my 10m up to 20kts (barely) but anything above that is impossible. Just the other day I rigged up my 11m just as the wind picked up to about 20-22kts…I was not even able to leave the beach!!! The force in the sail was so strong it just flattened me and I was not able to sheet in at all.
Any secrets you could share?

I’ll try to hit him up about it and see if I can get the track and put it up for download on this page.