A B767-300 EXPERIENCED A TAIL STRIKE ON TKOF IN GUSTY WINDS. THE CREW RTN TO LAND FOR A MAINT INSPECTION. ON THE SECOND DEPARTURE RUDDER ANOMALIES WERE CONFIRMED THAT WERE SUSPECTED ON THE INITIAL TKOF.

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AFTER A NORMAL PREFLT AND TAXI; WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. THE TKOF GROSS WT 360000 LBS; ATIS WINDS 240 DEGS AT 15 KTS; BUT ACTUAL WERE GUSTING DURING TKOF; AND THERE IS NO WINDSOCK VISIBLE AT THE TKOF END OF RWY. DURING TKOF ROLL; RUDDER INPUTS FELT SLOPPY AND WITH THE GUSTY WINDS; IT WAS DIFFICULT TO STAY ON CTRLINE. MY FO MADE THE SECOND TKOF; WITH THE SAME WINDS; LOAD; PAX COUNT; AND ALMOST THE SAME FUEL LOAD. DURING HIS TKOF; HE EXPERIENCED THE SAME DIFFICULTY STAYING ON CTRLINE AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PLANE FELT FAR FROM NORMAL. AS A RESULT; WE WROTE UP THE SLUGGISH RESPONSE WHILE USING RUDDER ON TKOF AND LNDG ROLL. ALSO DUE TO THE GUSTY WINDS; THE AIRSPD STAGNATED AT V1 VR. I ROTATED AT A NORMAL RATE AND WAS EXTREMELY SURPRISED TO SEE A TAILSKID LIGHT AND EICAS MESSAGE AFTER TKOF. I HAVE A COMMON PRACTICE AND HABIT OF ROTATING SLOWLY TO PREVENT SUCH AN INCIDENT. WE LEVELED OFF AT 12000 FT; ENTERED HOLDING; FOLLOWED THE QRH AND FOM PROCS; DSNDED TO 8000 FT FOR MANUAL PRESSURIZATION; AND NOTIFIED THE CREW; PAX; AND FLT CTL. AFTER REVIEWING ALL MATERIAL; WE MADE A 25 DEG FLAP APCH; WITH AUTOBRAKES AT 3 DEGS; AND LANDED ON RWY. WE CHOSE 25 DEGS FLAPS TO AVOID FLAP LOAD RELIEF; AND LANDED ON THE LONGEST RWY. WE ROLLED TO THE END OF THE RWY; AND CLRED FOR THE FIRE DEPT TO CHK OUR BRAKES. THEY INFORMED US THAT THEY WERE FINE; SO WE TAXIED BACK FOR THE MAINT INSPECTION. WE REQUESTED A LOAD AUDIT VIA ACARS WHILE ENRTE TO ZZZ1.