Mr Tasker was best known in Phuket for his huge sail loft, Rolly Tasker Sails, on Chao Fa West Rd. The loft – the largest in the world, according to company – makes sails, masts and rigging for yachts of all kinds, employs around 400 people and has customers in more than 60 countries.
Elsewhere, Mr Tasker was known as a master yachtsman. He built his first dinghy at the age of 10, and went on to build and race many other yachts.
He was Australian Dinghy Champion 10 times and won Australia’s first Olympic sailing medal – a silver at the 1956 games in Melbourne.
He designed the sails for Australia’s first America’s Cup Challenge in 1962, when he accompanied the team aboard the challenger, Gretel.
He won numerous ocean racing events, including the Queen Victoria Cup in Cowes, England, first place in his division in the deadly 1979 Fastnet Race, when 15 sailors died in ferocious storms.
During his racing career he covered some 340,000 nautical miles. He won many long distance ocean races, one being the 1979 Parmela Yacht Race from Plymouth, England to Fremantle, Australia. His ocean racing distance was 340,000 nautical miles (630,000 km).
He also funded and established the Australian Sailing Museum in his home town of Mandurah, Western Australia, containing records of the history of Australia’s most successful sailors since 1861.
He was inducted into Australia’s Sports Hall of Fame for his sailing achievements and named as Western Australia’s Best Ever Yachtsman only recently.
Mike Tasker, general manager of the Phuket factory, provided the video below - "a brief glimpse into his long and colourful life," - and added, "It goes without saying he will be missed by many of our suppliers, dealers, distributors, clients and friends around the world.
"A couple of months ago he requested I meet him at his house in Australia and said that when he died he wanted everyone to know he was leaving the running of the company to his existing management team and to let everyone know nothing will change in the way it has been and continues to be run.
"His greatest wish was for the company to continue growing, supplying high quality products. We have supported Rolly in life and will continue to do so now he is no longer with us.
"He is going to be remembered as being a great sailor, entrepreneur, businessman and sailmaker by many. To those who he allowed to know him intimately he was also an outstandingly loyal and personal friend."