I would probably still consider myself a "beginner", especially compared to some of the guys on this board... but here are my thoughts:
Removing the Old Wood - Wood chisels and a hammer to lightly tap it. You have to be careful not to angle it too much or you will punch through the top layer of fiberglass. A flathead screwdriver works pretty well too. Once most of it is out then you want to let it dry and then hit it with some kind of a sander. I don't know what kind of space you are working with a but a small "mouse" type sander with 60 or 80 grit paper would probably be your best bet.
New Core - How thick was the old core? 3/4" seems thick for cap rails?
(Test fit wood before bonding it)
Bond the new wood to the top layer using resin thickened with an adhesive filler like Cabosil or one of the West Systems blends. Remember to wet both surfaces with resin before applying the thickened epoxy.
A jack might work. When I did something similar(backing plates for cleats) I used sections of 1x2 that I had cut specifically for this purpose. I just wedged them in there to hold the wood in place. If you make the epoxy adhesive thick enough(peanut butter consistency) it won't take much pressure to hold it up.
Laminating - Working upside down is going to suck(I would think). You are probably going to want to use fast curing epoxy and to let it start to thicken slightly before you start laminating. Probably working in small sections with small batches would be best. Maybe something like using 6-12" sections and staggering them so the seams from different layers don't line up? (Not sure how good of an idea this is, but I would think that larger pieces = more weight = going to sag easier? Again - not sure how good of an idea this)
Tip: Apparently vinegar stops the chemical reaction of epoxy and can be used for clean up(hands, tools, etc.). I wish I would have known this as I usually used acetone and apparently that stuff is really really bad to get on your skin. You can also save your mixing cups and re-use them - just "crack" out the hardened epoxy.
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