Matt Allen was born in Melbourne and started sailing at 11 years of age at Mt Eliza and later at Mornington Yacht Club.
He has competed in 32 Sydney – Hobart Yacht Races, winning on four occasions. Three times in his beloved TP52 Ichi Ban and one as boat captain onboard Challenge with Lou Abrahams. He was Co-skipper of Masterlock Comanche in 2024 race.
He sailed with Alf and Trevor Neate on board Morning Mist II and Morning Mist III for many years including a 2nd in the 1992 Sydney Hobart Race.
Matt won the 11 Metre World Championships in Norway in 2005 and placed 2nd in the Farr 40 World Championships in 2006 in Newport, Rhode Island.
Matt’s Volvo 70 represented MYC in the Volvo Ocean Race in 2005/6, being the only Australian Yacht to compete in the Ocean Race.
Matt has been active in Asian sailing as well, wining 4 King’s Cup in Thailand.
In sporting administration Matt has also been active. He was Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He was elected as the inaugural Vice President of Australian Sailing in 2011 and became President from 2013 to 2019. He Joined World Sailing Committees and became Vice Chair of Oceanic and Offshore Committee in 2016 becoming Chair in 2020 and re-elected in 2025. He is the only Australian to ever hold this position. He also sits on the Council of World Sailing, the main decision-making body for the International Federation.
He was also President of the Australia Day Regatta from 2014 to 2021, the oldest continuously run regatta in world.
In 2017 he was elected to the Australian Olympic Committee and in 2021 was elected as Vice President the most senior position a sailor has ever held at the AOC.
In 2019 he was made a Member of the Order of Australia for services to Sailing.
Professionally Matt worked in investment banking with UBS and his last role was as President and CEO of UBS Japan, the largest foreign bank in Japan at the time. Hence the name of his yachts Ichi Ban.
He has competed in 32 Sydney – Hobart Yacht Races, winning on four occasions. Three times in his beloved TP52 Ichi Ban and one as boat captain onboard Challenge with Lou Abrahams. He was Co-skipper of Masterlock Comanche in 2024 race.
He sailed with Alf and Trevor Neate on board Morning Mist II and Morning Mist III for many years including a 2nd in the 1992 Sydney Hobart Race.
Matt won the 11 Metre World Championships in Norway in 2005 and placed 2nd in the Farr 40 World Championships in 2006 in Newport, Rhode Island.
Matt’s Volvo 70 represented MYC in the Volvo Ocean Race in 2005/6, being the only Australian Yacht to compete in the Ocean Race.
Matt has been active in Asian sailing as well, wining 4 King’s Cup in Thailand.
In sporting administration Matt has also been active. He was Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He was elected as the inaugural Vice President of Australian Sailing in 2011 and became President from 2013 to 2019. He Joined World Sailing Committees and became Vice Chair of Oceanic and Offshore Committee in 2016 becoming Chair in 2020 and re-elected in 2025. He is the only Australian to ever hold this position. He also sits on the Council of World Sailing, the main decision-making body for the International Federation.
He was also President of the Australia Day Regatta from 2014 to 2021, the oldest continuously run regatta in world.
In 2017 he was elected to the Australian Olympic Committee and in 2021 was elected as Vice President the most senior position a sailor has ever held at the AOC.
In 2019 he was made a Member of the Order of Australia for services to Sailing.
Professionally Matt worked in investment banking with UBS and his last role was as President and CEO of UBS Japan, the largest foreign bank in Japan at the time. Hence the name of his yachts Ichi Ban.
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