Peter Luke, a co-founder of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in 1944 and the last survivor of the nine intrepid skippers who participated in the inaugural Sydney Hobart Yacht Race in 1945, has died at the age of 92 after a brief illness.

Only two weeks ago, he went out in a dinghy to his beloved yacht Wayfarer, which is moored at Soldiers Point near his home at Salamander Bay at Port Stephens. Luke he sailed the inaugural Hobart Race in Wayfarer – setting a still standing record for the longest time taken for the 628 nautical mile course – 11 days 6 hours and 20 minutes.

He also sailed as a crew member aboard Charisma, skippered by the late Jim Lawler, in the 50th Sydney Hobart in 1994 at the age of 79.

Peter Luke was one of a small group of sailing enthusiasts who formed the Cruising Yacht Club (as it was then known) and planned a cruise to Hobart post-Christmas 1945.  Captain John Illingworth RN, an experienced English racing yachtsman then based in Sydney, convinced them to make the cruise an ocean race, using the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s rules and handicap system.

Illingworth won the race with Rani, Luke finished last in Wayfarer.

For his great contribution to founding the CYC and the Sydney Hobart Race, Peter Luke was elected a Life Member in 1957 but later resigned from the club in protest over sponsorship. However, he later renewed his membership and was reinstated as a Life Member in 1997.

He was official starter of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race in 2001.

CYCA Commodore Matt Allen today acknowledged the sad passing of Peter Luke.

“It’s a sad occasion that the last of club’s co-founders has passed away. Thanks to the foresight of Peter and Charlie Cooper, the CYCA is one of the most recognised yacht clubs in the world and our flagship event, the Rolex Sydney Hobart, is one of the world’s top three blue water races”.

Peter is survived by his first wife Betty, who is now 93 and helped Peter build Wayfarer from Huon Pine, and their children Roland Luke and Lindy Boyd, and by his second wife, Monnette and her daughter Pauline.

At Peter’s request there will be no funeral service. Instead the family is hoping to organise a gathering in his memory at the CYCA in the near future.  – Peter Campbell

• A more detailed reflection of the life and times of Peter Luke will be published on the CYCA website later this week.