Dave,
The A-Class championship rules are written around W/L courses. I think if you get the chance to race the boat often, you will find that tactically, the downwind legs are harder than the upwind legs. An A-cat when jibed properly loses very little so it pays to take advantage of shifts. Glenn Ashby was featured in an artcile in this month's Seahorse magazine and said that at the recent A-Class WC, he would typically pass 8-10 boats downwind because he jibed more often on the windshifts and puffs. I think once the breeze is on, wild thinging downwind is just as much fun as a reach so there is really no motivation to have reaching legs at this time.
Look forward to seeing you in Bokeelia.
Bob Hodges