As a 17-year-old sailmaking apprentice, he sailed on the 17m (56ft), 1898 Logan-designed Rainbow. Rainbow was not only one of the fastest yachts racing on the Waitemata in the 1930s, she was also widely considered one of the prettiest.
As a youngster, Warnock helped to build and repair Rainbow's sails, when the yacht was owned by the irascible Leo Bouzaid (father of One Ton Cup-winning Chris and Tony).
Fifty years later, in 2008, he reprised his role: helping build Rainbow's new suit of sails after the classic yacht's extensive restoration.
It was, recalls Calibre Sails' managing director and founder David Parr, a very special project.
"In building Rainbow's sails, it was important to take advantage of modern materials while replicating the stitches and panel design of Rainbow's era so they looked authentic," he says.
"By then, there were very few sailmakers in New Zealand who still had those skills, so we were lucky that Frank was able to come in and help us."
Parr recalls that Warnock sat in the company's loft, "on the same sailmaking stool he had made as an apprentice", and taught Calibre apprentice Tom Barker how to make grommets for the reefing eyes in the sail.
"He also showed him how to apply the tension to the seams with the outside roping."
Even with these three generations of sailmaker (Warnock, Parr and Barker) working together, there were some unusual challenges. Parr remembers how difficult it was to push the needles through the fabric.
"Modern cloth is much tougher and stiffer than the original canvas would have been.
"However, Frank worked with us in the loft, on the floor and passed on his knowledge in a very hands-on manner as we made the sails together."
Parr says that, apart from the wonderful nostalgia of having Warnock back on Rainbow, there were real advantages to having him in to work on Rainbow's sails.
One was that they needed to get the sails right.
"The other was that by teaching Tom the techniques, we were helping to preserve those skills.
"That's important because Auckland now has a large fleet of classic yachts and they all need to keep their sails in excellent condition while appearing authentic."
The benefits for the young apprentice have also been immense. After Barker completed his apprenticeship, he did a three-month internship with a sailmaker in the UK.
"Sails came into the UK loft that I just picked up and completed," he says.
"The other guys were amazed at the wide range of skills I had."
At the show, Parr will no doubt be keen to showcase his company's skills in areas other than classic yachts, too. As well as being involved in the restoration of Logan yachts Rainbow and Rawhiti (and that of the 12m Gretel II), Calibre also provided the sails for the 29m Yachting Developments-built Vesper.
"With help from NZTE, we have also been successful in securing export work for dhow racing sails in Dubai and are looking to grow this market," says Parr.
The company is also opening a new Auckland service centre, complete with laser cutter, in Felton Mathew Ave.
It is also looking to take on another apprentice, "someone with a real passion for the art of sailmaking".
"Our plan is that, when I get to Frank Warnock's age and hopefully retire, one of our in-house trained apprentices will be at the helm of Calibre Sails - and be training the next generation of New Zealand sailmakers."
Getting stitched
What: Calibre Sails demonstrations
With: Veteran sailmaker Frank Warnock
Where: Auckland International Boat Show, Viaduct Harbour
When: September 15-18
Click here for more info.
