Do squash need to sunbathe?

I'd be grateful for advice please. My butternut squash are growing very rampantly, as butternut squash do.....I'm pleased they are successful. There are many squash which were lying on the earth so I've moved leaves underneath them so they're not in direct contact with the soil. However they are still covered on top by other abundant foliage. - Do I need to cut off some of these covering leaves so that the squash can ripen in the sun?

 

Last year I grew mine upright - they seemed to grow by the day and grew higher than the garage. I just let them do what they wanted. I got around 6 x squash off them as high winds took a lot of the flowers. I am growing them again this year plus patty pan.

 

Sunglasses are compulsory!

(Sorry, I couldn't resist).