Click on the Online Store link at the top of this page, buy Rick White's "Catamaran Racing for the 90's". It does a great job of explaining all you need to know about tacking, gybes, etc. as well as boat set up, mast rake, sail trim, etc.

I also grew up racing Lasers, 505's, J-24's, etc. Cats are a whole new ball game, especially downwind. I have found unless the air is very stable, any puff that comes along while going downwind is going to mess up your perfect layline, as you will accelerate and go deeper in the puff, much more so than in any keel boat or even a Laser.

Dead down wind is almost never the faster way to get from the top of the course to the bottom, you are usually better off to head up, heat it up and then bear off as the apparant wind comes foreward.

http://store.catsailor.com/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=99&idproduct=6437