Mushin said..
Thank you everybody for the replies!
I have locked in a purchase of the UCS Starboard after all.
It was before these posts... the equipment arrived already.
One thing I notice immediately however is that the finish is rather sloppy.
The surface looks used to me, there are zilions of very fine scratches that seem to be a leftover from the polishing process. In addition to that there are many random wide scratches that look like the components were dragged on a table or something.
Despite this the surface is smooth to the touch. I don't know if this is of significance or just a cosmetic problem?
One of the wings has a very slightly dented tip... less than 1mm. The other the tip is chipped off very slightly again less than 1mm on the trailing corner of the tip.
I don't know if this is a common thing with Starboard Foils?
The Alpinefoil mast I have came in perfect condition 8 years ago and I did not make a single scratch on it yet, it still looks brand new after years of use and handling!
EDIT: I contacted the seller and he says that usually competitors sand their foils with 2000 or 2500 grit. That should supposedly remove the surface blemishes while also improving the performance of the foil.
Prep sand up to p2000, shoot with clear acrylic to fill any pinholes or blemishes, resand up to 3000 would be a typical race prep.
