Refinishing: Who has tried a shortcut?

On this thread there have been several references to the lack of problems
with the gelcoat on the Kestrel 19.

The two Kestrels that I owned had no gelcoat cracking up to ten years after
manufacture, although one of them developed shrinkage along the spar line.

In Martin Simons book on Slingsby sailplanes he makes reference to the fact
that George Burton, the managing director, was unable to get the wings on
the Vega produced to the waviness standard of the german gliders then in
production. Presumably this was because the time consuming process of
sanding the wings after removal from the mould would have cost too much.

If this was the case then probably the Kestrel wings also were not sanded ?

Can anyone comment on the longevity of the finish on the Vega ?

Was it the material used on the Kestrel or the possible lack of sanding that
contributed to the lack of cracking problems ?

DB