On Wednesday 9th April, 2025, Past Commodore Warwick White celebrates his centennial year, by turning 100! Mr. White is officially the oldest member of RNZYS.

Mr. White was commodore of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron from 1978 to 1979.

Friend John Faire, has written “a very brief” outline of Mr. White’s life to date.

Please join us in celebrating this wonderful 100 year milestone.

Mr. Warwick White

As documented by John Faire

This is a very brief and regrettably incomplete outline of some of the achievements of this Club’s oldest member who will celebrate his 100ᵗʰ birthday on Wednesday 9ᵗʰ April.

Warwick was born in Auckland on 9 April 1925. He was educated at Takapuna Grammar School and at Auckland University (then known as the University of NZ). He obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree and was admitted to the bar in 1949. He lives with his wife Susan in their apartment in Remuera.

Warwick’s life in the law saw him practice principally in corporate, commercial, financial and property law. He also acted as counsel for a major union and took personal injury cases to trial for injured workers in the days before the Accident Compensation Act 1972.

I am advised that the firm he joined had three practitioners, Mr. Kensington, Mr. Les Haynes and Mr. Alexander Turner. Sir Alexander Turner left the firm and was appointed a KC and later appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court (now known as the High Court) and went on to become President of the NZ Court of Appeal. The firm was renamed Kensington Haynes and White, which reflected Warwick’s entry as a partner in the firm. The firm has produced a number of outstanding lawyers and judges. The firm has been involved in a number of mergers with links worldwide.

Some of Warwick’s friends here today can relate to Warwick’s love of the sport of yachting, details of which I will shortly refer to. Before leaving the law, I recount what one of my informants advised. Apparently, when Warwick took leave from legal practice to compete in ocean races — usually in the month of May — his legal partners would insure him for the duration of the race. I was told that Don Dugdale, a partner and well-known lawyer, proclaimed that the firm had to have a financial stake in the race. I understand that Warwick questions this. I am not sure if that means there was some issue as to who were the beneficiaries of the policy or if there is some other reason.

Warwick has a wonderful ability to attract people. My informant spoke of occasions on Friday afternoons when Warwick would return to the office with a client after a two-hour lunch at the Yacht Squadron to complete with my informant (Warwick’s partner at the time) and the client the advice that was sought. It just proves how yachting can be mixed with the practice of the law. On his retirement from the law firm, he worked with Newmarket lawyer Lloyd Lamberg, another yachtsman who commenced his yachting on Hamilton Lake, where I also began my yacht racing.

Warwick is well known in yachting circles. In his early days he owned and raced the Bob Stewart-designed M-class Matana, a yacht that had been built for my uncle Jim Faire in 1947. He has undertaken many roles in yachting both as a competitor and administrator. He was Commodore of RNZYS (Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron) 1978–79, and was involved in the club’s move from its premises in Parliament Street to the present clubrooms at Westhaven in about 1975, which involved the club executing a lease for a substantial period.

He was also on the general committee of RNZYS which undertook the running of the One Ton Cup in about 1977 when the NZ centre-boarders dominated.

He was involved in Sir Peter Blake’s Ceramco challenge for the Whitbread, with people including Sir Tom Clark, Martin Foster (then secretary of NZYF), and Peter Cornes. Warwick sailed in a number of races and training voyages as Ceramco was prepared for the big race.

He turned his hand to boatbuilding and was involved in the construction of a John Spencer keel yacht, which at the time was regarded as revolutionary. It resulted in RNZYS forming a separate division known as the Light Displacement Division. There were at least 3 other yachts he owned from the designs of prominent NZ yacht designers Des Townson and Bob Stewart. He also went to what some yachties call the “dark side” and owned 2 launches and a runabout used at his home on the shores of the Manukau Harbour.

I am also advised that he was a competent bowler and is a past President of the Remuera Bowling Club.

I am acutely conscious that I have not referred to Warwick’s family and therefore I leave that to others. I have learnt that many will have sampled the wine from Stonyridge Vineyard, Waiheke Island, which was established by Warwick’s son Stephen.

Warwick has been the principal of a small group including myself who meet for lunch on Wednesdays. We enjoy so much being both enlightened and entertained by him at these occasions. Long may that continue.

If you have any additional history of Mr. White, please send to [email protected]