We just use a small snap shackle tied to the rail at the aft bow pulpit. There is a long line that attaches to the release pin to the other side of the boat ahead of the hatch where the foredeck can just reach forward and pull. The halyard is run from the forward hatch, where it is attached to the head of the spinnaker, along the deck tthru the shackle and then up. The shackle is on the port side; the release line reaches all the way to the starboard side.

It works great! The halyard is far enough forward that neither the #1 nor the #3 interfere with it, but far enough back that it doesn't disturb the airflow across the jib the way having it clipped to the bow would.

Hope that helps.

P.S. Do yourself a favor and also get a pole bag that has a luff cord that can be slid into the length of the boom. The nifty ones have a bag on each side, so it doesn't matter what side you take the pole down on.

:: I am in the process of changing the hatch for launching
:: the spinnaker from the front hatch. I have added the bag
:: below the hatch also. Everything I have read indicates
:: that we need to latch the halyard to the pulpit or toe
:: rail. I have installed a shackle with the release line
:: going to the starboard side through the old downhaul
:: rigging.
::
:: Does anyone have pictures of the halyard release
:: mechanism? Any tips for launching the spinnaker from the
:: front hatch? This is my first attempt so any suggestions
:: are more than welcome!