pods for primates : a catalogue of surfboards in australia since 1900
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the catalogue #3 
1968, May        WM Vee Bottom Stubby        8 ft 6" 
#3
MANUFACTURE
MANUFACTURER: WM Surfboards, 58 A Cumberland Road Auburn. Sydney 
SHAPER:  Unknown - possibly Vic Elliot.
DESIGN:  Vee Bottom Stubby - Plastic Fantastic Machine 
DESIGNER: Bob McTavish/Midget Farrelly
SPECIFICATIONS
CONSTRUCTION
Foam blank with 3/4 x 1/4" redwood stringer, Volan glassed with Hour-glass deck patch, colour gel coat on bottom. 
DIMENSIONS
Length:
8
 feet
6
 inches    
 Width:
 23
 inches  
 Wide Point:
-ve
 inches
 Nose :
   inches  
 Tail:
   inches
 Thickness:
   inches  
 Pod:
 8
 inches
 Weight:
   kilos  
 Volume:
   litres
 Nose/L:
   inches  
 Tail/L:
   inches
 Other
            
FEATURES
Nose: round 
Tail:  chamfered square tail 
Deck:   rolled 
Bottom:  Three phase Flat, Round and deep Vee. 
Rails: Thin 50/50 
Rocker: Marked nose lift
FIN
Laminated Greenough Stage III, 12" X 8" base
Image right
#107 Floral fabric laminated Greenough Stage III, 13 1/2" X 8" base
DECOR
DECALS
Deck
1.'WM SURFBOARDS', blue at rear sweet spot, image below 
2.'WM' in box on pod , image right
Bottom:
MARKINGS
Deck: 
 Bottom:
COLOUR
Deck: Clear 
Bottom: White gelcoat to 1" off rail with righthand 4" Orange stripe.
# 85 WM '67
# 3 WM box '67
NOTES
BOARD HISTORY
Custom order, purchased May 1968, $94.00. Invoice below.
Photograph: Coalcliff Beach, 1968 by Jocelyn O'Conor. 
COMMENTS
Untypically long for this period, the board was virtually obsolete by the time it got to the beach. When the board was picked up from the shop all the current designs were pintails. 
The hourglass deck patch is uncommon, however note Knox: Mark Richards, below.
The three-quarter stringer was copied from  Hansen Surfboards (USA) 'Superlight/Featherlite' ? model - to make the nose lighter (?). 
The chamfered pod and bottom decor were both copied from a Midget Farrelly design. 
Similar designs: G&S # 26 (replacement) and 
Other WM boards: pintails # 75 (below) and # 107
REFERENCES:
Book
Knox, David :Mark Richards : A Surfing Legend
Photo (Ray Richards?) of similar deck patch on similar design board, page 30.
CONDITION: 9


Image Above
#3 Coalcliff Beach, 1968 
Photograph/Jocelyn O'Conor. 

Image below
# 3 Deposit 
19 April 1968




Image Above
#75  WM Pintail Vee1968 
Katoomba, 1999
Photograph/Jocelyn Mansell, nee O'Conor.

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