Chanel named title sponsor and timekeeper of The Boat Race

French luxury fashion house Chanel has signed a long-term partnership deal with the annual boat race between Oxford and Cambridge universities to become The Boat Race’s title sponsor and official timekeeping partner.

The historic event, established nearly 200 years ago in 1829, is the oldest major sporting event in the UK, with the dark and light ‘Blues’ crews of eight rowers pitted against each other on the River Thames in London every year in the spring.

From 2025, the sporting event, attended by over 250,000 spectators on the riverbank and broadcast live on the BBC, will become the Chanel J12 Boat Race. Next year's Women’s Boat Race and Men’s Boat Race will take place on April 13 along the 4.25 miles of the Championship Course between Putney and Mortlake in London.

Frédéric Grangié, president of Chanel watches and fine jewellery, said in a statement: “We are delighted to sign a strategic partnership with The Boat Race who share the same values of collective endeavour and the pursuit of excellence. It’s an honour to be the first-ever official timekeeper in the race’s 195-year history to simultaneously become title sponsor and principal partner.

“Synchronicity in rowing is as crucial to the race as watchmaking craftsmanship to ensure accurate timing. Every rower, like every mechanism in a watch, must work together as one; the balance, the weight and the oar movements must all be impeccably timed.

“We look forward to working with The Boat Race over the coming years to bring this partnership to life, through the world of Chanel and our iconic J12 watches.”

Chanel to sponsor The Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge

The long-term partnership is billed as an expression of a shared philosophy, “one of an uncompromising pursuit of excellence which relies on collective effort to succeed”. Chanel states that the Boat Race Day encapsulates the raison d’être of Oxford and Cambridge: to develop and showcase exceptional talent, in the same way, the House of Chanel supports outstanding creative expertise.

Siobhan Cassidy, chair of The Boat Race Company Ltd., which operates the event, added: “On behalf of the wider Boat Race community, we are so thrilled to welcome Chanel as our new title sponsor.

“We knew when we first met, on June 10 – the same date as the first ever Boat Race in 1829 – that they understood the appeal of our event and we’re very confident that their involvement will help us take the event to new places and new people, as well as enhancing it for our millions of existing followers.”

Chanel has had its roots in sport since it was founded in 1910. Inspired by sporting attire predominately worn by men of the time, Gabrielle Chanel was an active sportswoman herself and used materials such as jerseys and tweeds to create trailblazing designs, which gave women the freedom of movement – to ride horses and cycle.

The French luxury brand launched the J12 unisex watch in 2000, with the name inspired by the J Class 12-metre race boats from the early 20th century. It is produced in Switzerland with self-winding movements from the Swiss Manufacture Kenissi, co-owned by Chanel.