As has already been said, gybing is easier with the spinnaker up. It's also easier with more boat speed as this reduces the apparent wind onto the back of the boat, and means the main will go across more gently.

My technique for gybing is as follows (I think most of this is pretty standard) Kneel facing backwards with the mainsheet blocks in front of you. Change the tiller from one hand to the other first, then put your old tiller hand around the mainsheet between the blocks, and pull it to the centre of the boat. As it starts to come across, move your hand from the sheet between the blocks, and hold it where it goes through the cleat. You can then let the mainsheet run through your hand, controlling the speed that it goes across, rather than having it bang against the stop on the other side.

One thing to note is that if you started with the traveller out, then the place that you kneel is actually on the leeward side of the boat. This is quite handy as it puts your weight in right place for when the main goes across.

Sailing with a spinnaker you can forget most of the above: leave the traveller centred and concentrate on getting the spin sheeted quickly on the other side.

Regarding the tiller, as everyone else has said: don't cut it. Going upwind, you should be trapezing with your feet near the shrounds, and you'll find that you need most of those 8' to steer from there. I use an extendable tiller extension. This is for two reasons: firstly, it stops me from poking the crew in the face when I'm sat in and she's trapezing, and secondly, our rigging area is often pretty crowded and it's all too easy to leave an 8' carbon tiller dangling off the side of the boat as you pull it past other boats. This can be expensive.

Paul