Thanks Carl!

On the blown tacks, I either back winded, jibed, or let the current push the rudders around and then tried again. I just need to read the correct way to do things now that I hae a feel for what it is like out there. I had read all that stuff before, but I think it will make much more sense now.

On the leaking: I think that I am getting water in at the forestay attachement points and the plugs whose gaskets have cracked some.