Your autopilot will not be able to react fast enough, nor can it anticipate waves. The trick is never to allow yourself to be perpendicular to the wave, but always to be at angle to it. That way you are always sailing downhill, and you eliminate the chance of pooping or pitch-poling. Pooping is unheard of in cruising catamarans, and pitch-poling comes from excessive speed perpendicular to the waves. Getting to windward If you seriously feel the need to maximize your heavy-weather windward ability under sail, then you must be prepared to change headsails for the purpose.
Roller reefing sails are good to a certain point.
It must be remembered that a sail is sewn to pull against the head, tack, and clew with the luff supported by a stay. When a sail is partially rolled, it is no longer pulling against the designed strong points but is pulling against the luff and the foot where they roll around the stay. While it is possible to do reasonably well with a partially rolled jib, it is without doubt much better to have a sail specifically cut for that purpose, such as a good storm jib. On the other hand, if you do what most cruisers do and simply run your engine about one third your normal cruising speed, you will go to windward just fine. This motor-sailing concept is almost the universal choice of cruisers for going to windward in heavy weather.