Can't say that the sheeting point is too far forward unless there was a change in the sail over the years. Most likely the backwinding is in reference to close hauled spinnaker sailing.

I don't doubt that there are different options (like hooters), but that is not the point. I will have to catch up with someone with a current spinnaker rig to review. Like I said... this is the first I have heard of it and coming from the point of view that there are better options does not answer the question for me.

By the way... this is a spinnaker, not a hooter. It is not designed for close hauled or upwind sailing. Sailing a hooter is not really comparable to a spinnaker at all.