The 2026 edition of The Women’s Boat Race and The Men’s Boat Race, pitching light against dark blue, drew all eyes in London to the River Thames, as well as capturing the attention of audiences worldwide, to witness the world-class endeavours of the student athletes representing the two top-ranked universities in the country.

In the end, while the Men’s and Women’s teams from both universities showed the athletic prowess and team spirit that make this occasion such a highlight in the British sporting calendar, the Oxford women’s team and Cambridge men’s emerged victorious, cheered on by thousands of spectators lining the Championship Course from Putney to Mortlake.

CHANEL is proud to be the first Timekeeping Partner and Title Sponsor of The Boat Race, with the J12 watch. Measuring time is essential to precision, and the synergies between intricate watch mechanisms and the synchronicity and rhythm required of a crew’s collective stroke are manifold. This partnership is an eloquent expression of a shared philosophy: one of uncompromising endeavour and style that relies on collective effort to succeed.

The famous Championship Course stretches over 4.25 miles of tidal Thames in west London between Putney and Mortlake. First raced by crews from Oxford and Cambridge University in 1829, The Boat Race is now one of the world’s oldest and most famous amateur sporting events, offering an unrivalled experience to the student athletes who take part. The Boat Race is regularly attended by over 200,000 spectators at the banks of the river and watched by millions more on television. It is free to attend as a spectator and was broadcast this year for the first time live on Channel 4 and Times Radio.

Chanel Limited is a private company and parent of the Chanel group, a world leader in creating, developing, manufacturing and distributing luxury products. Founded by Gabrielle Chanel at the beginning of the last century, Chanel offers a broad range of high-end creations, including Ready-to-Wear, Leather Goods, Fashion Accessories, Eyewear, Fragrances, Makeup, Skincare, Jewellery and Watches. Chanel is also renowned for its Haute Couture collections, presented twice yearly in Paris, and for having acquired a large number of specialised suppliers, collectively known as the Métiers d’art. Chanel is dedicated to ultimate luxury and to the highest level of craftsmanship. It is a brand whose core values remain historically grounded on exceptional creation. As such, Chanel promotes culture, art, creativity and “savoir-faire” throughout the world, and invests significantly in people, R&D, sustainable development and innovation. At the end of 2024, Chanel employed over 38,400 people worldwide.