More gap, more feed.

Retraction is a strange animal. In g-code is is a combination of M227 and M228 commands. There is a pullback and a resume value for M227. This is a kind of pre-purge option.

Have you tried disabling the retractions? This is an appropriate option in some cases where it is seriously detrimental in others. However, it is one less parameter to deal with to get your move velocity and you feed velocities to work. Then go back and add the "destring" or "Deblob" operation, that retraction provides.