The Boat Race that takes place each spring between elite rowing teams from Oxford and Cambridge universities is a world-famous event so it’s no surprise that it’s the latest major sports happening to attract fashion brand interest.

This week, Chanel and The Boat Race Company Ltd announced the signing of a long-term partnership with Chanel being Title Sponsor and official Timekeeping Partner. The 2025 event will become The Chanel J12 Boat Race.

Clearly this isn’t actually about fashion or beauty but about the brand’s precision timepieces and the link with the oldest major sporting event in the UK (it began in 1829) is in many ways an ideal one for promoting such products. Its uniqueness also makes it stand out from many other sports events.

The 2025 edition of The Women’s Boat Race and The Men’s Boat Race will take place on Sunday 13 April along the 4.25 miles of the Championship Course between Putney and Mortlake in London. 

It attracts over 250,000 spectators on the riverbank, is broadcast live on the BBC, and is watched by millions globally on TV.

The link-up is a long-term partnership with the two parties saying it’s “an expression of a shared philosophy, one of an uncompromising pursuit of excellence which relies on collective effort to succeed. 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”.