Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts for Him and Her
Find the perfect gift for every rower with our curated gifts for him and her! From performance shirts to cozy base layers and our latest must-haves, each product is hand-picked, so you can find a gift they’ll truly appreciate. Whether you’re shopping for the athlete who loves a classic unisuit or someone looking for a versatile vest, this guide offers top picks that combine performance, comfort, and style. Explore this list of rowing essentials and customer favorites to make holiday shopping easy and thoughtful!
CHANEL and The Boat Race Announce Long-Term Partnership
CHANEL and The Boat Race Company Ltd have announced the signing of a long-term partnership with CHANEL as Title Sponsor and official Timekeeping Partner. The 2025 event will become The CHANEL J12 Boat Race. The historic race between Oxford and Cambridge Universities was established nearly 200 years ago in 1829. It 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 every year in the Spring.
Meet the Team: The Arctic Challenge 2025
In 2025, four extraordinary athletes will embark on a mission to row the Arctic Ocean, facing one of the harshest environments on the planet. The Arctic Challenge Team is made up of Hannah and John Huppi, Jimmy Graham, and Andrew Tropp—an adventurous group with shared goals to become the first mixed-gender team of 4 to row the Arctic Ocean, the fastest 4-person team to row the Arctic Ocean, and the first All-American team to row a polar ocean. As proud partners of the Arctic Challenge, we’re excited to introduce each member of this team and share their unique stories and motivations.
HOCR 2024: Survivor Rowing Network Meet & Greet
We are thrilled to welcome athletes from the Survivor Rowing Network to the JL Racing tent at this year’s Head of the Charles Regatta. These cancer survivors are not only fierce competitors but also powerful advocates for the healing benefits of rowing. On Saturday, October 19th, from 10:15am to 11:15am, we will be hosting a meet & greet with athletes who are racing in the Survivor Row event, taking place at 3:26pm the same day. Stop by the JL tent on Saturday to meet these incredible and inspiring athletes, celebrate their strength, enter a raffle to win a FREE JL swag bag, and learn more about how SRN is growing the survivor rowing community worldwide!
Survivor Rowing Network Racing at HOCR 2024
The Survivor Rowing Network will be floating 11 boats this year at Head of the Charles, marking its second year racing at this prestigious event in Boston. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the inaugural Survivor Row at HOCR, we had the opportunity to speak with four of the athletes who will be racing in Boston this year. The Survivor Row will take place on Saturday, October 19th at 3:28pm.
The Boat Race Signs JL Racing as Official Kit Supplier
JL Racing has been appointed the official performance wear sponsor by The Boat Race Company. The partnership will see Oxford University Boat Club and Cambridge University Boat Club outfitted with JL Racing’s custom performance rowing apparel for training and racing.
Team Spotlight: Allies With Oars
Since 2022, Steady State Network has raced as Allies with Oars to promote inclusion and accessibility for all rowers, regardless of gender identity. They pull together competitive lineups for major regattas. The current Allies with Oars team is training for Race Around the Rock, an 88k coastal relay race on August 25th around Salt Spring Island in British Columbia, Canada. The team will be taking over the JL Racing Instagram story for the weekend of the race. Be sure to tune in to follow along!
Steering Toward Success: Coxswain’s Fall Season Essentials
Head race season is just around the corner! As coxswains swap side-by-side strategy and start sequences for course maps, 5k plans and perfecting their best “YIELD!”, now is the perfect time to open up those dry bags and double check that you have everything you need to be successful this fall.
Regatta Packing List Essentials
Prepping for a regatta isn't just about the physical training and mental prep, but also ensuring you have the right tools for success on race day. The last thing you want to realize on race day is that you've forgotten to pack your favorite sunglasses, your team's unisuit, or your lucky warmup shirt. Below, you'll find a list of important items to remember to pack, whether you're going traveling to your own lake or across the country.
Two Passions on a Single: Charlie, the Rowing Chestnut
I have some rather niche passions. The first one might not seem so niche to you, since you are currently reading “The Launch” a rowing blog made by a rowing gear company, but for many, it seems quite odd to have a wake up before 5 am to go sit on a tippy boat, narrower than your butt, to move backwards on a river…My second passion is the Castanea dentata tree (I told you it was rather niche…), the American Chestnut tree!
Survivor Rowing Network at Head of the Charles 2023
Rowing Cares and the Survivor Rowing Network (SRN) entered two boats comprised of cancer survivors at HOCR 2023. The SRN's mission is to grow Survivor Rowing and help place more cancer survivors into boats and on ergs. They do this by strengthening existing survivor rowing programs through collaboration & by enabling rowing organizations looking to form new programs. Read below to learn more about the incredible women who are coaching, rowing, or coxing in this year's SRN boats at HOCR, and visit the JL tent at HOCR to meet and chat with them. Good luck ladies!
Which JL Jacket is Right For You?
Sequel, splash, turtleshell, scallop, regatta - You may have heard these terms or have seen them while shopping on our custom or retail site, but what do they mean? What is the difference between a sequel turtleshell and a sequel jacket, and a scallop jacket and regatta jacket? Find out what piece of outerwear is right for you and your team!
