You don't have to do the "sand and buff" routine every year. After a few years, there'd be no gel coat left!

I did "sand and buff" my H-16 last year - a '98 - then took it to Strictly Sail Chicago and put it on display with a brand-new Tiger. People thought the 16 was newer than the Tiger. It still looks that way today, although it did pick up a few scratches over the summer (9 2-day regattas and 7,250 miles on the trailer )