I would think that is the result of pouring the gel coat in to the middle of mould and then spreading it around with a paddle or a brush, I bet it's nice and thick at the top of the arch? The edges and the returns should have been done first in a nice thick coat with a brush left for 5-10mins then the flat areas done with a roller so it goes on even. If it was given two coats that would have been even better but gel coat is more expensive than laminating resin, I'm guessing there is not much of it on the bigger parts like the scuttle and bonnet.
As for the matting not being pushed into the resin either there is not enough of it so it was done dry or a finned consolidating roller was not used which costs about £5-7.
The hollow voids between the gel coat and the resin is caused by trying to force 600csm into tight corners, a way round the problem is to cut strips of a lighter 200g csm mat and put that around the edges and corners as this has a bit more give to it. A radius roller costing £4-7 would then push the matting in to place. When I get my act together and start to produce my GRP parts I'm using 200g woven roven around the edges and corners so that hopefully this does not happen.
Has any body thought about using a polyurethane truck bed liner under the arches that stuff is near impossible to damage?
At this point I'd like to point out that I have no back ground in GRP but I do have 14 months worth of college education in industrial model making, the advice on laminating was given to me by a neighbour who makes £130,000 racing yachts.
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