Soapbox Race – Opoul Périllos

Fancy some high octane low emission excitement? Head inland to the commune of Opoul Périllos over the May Day bank holiday weekend for the Descente de caisses à savon (soapbox cart racing).

The first recorded soapbox race was back in 1904 near Frankfurt in Germany. The carts were built from wooden crates used to transport soap, or apples, which then hurtled downhill, using gravity in place of a motor.

Modern day soapbox racing has come a long way, with events around the world, and megabucks investment from extreme sports sponsor, RedBull.

Rules

Events tend to be fun, family-oriented affairs, often organised to fund raise for charities and organisations. Nevertheless, there are usually the same basic principles:

• Non-motorised vehicles
• 4 or more wheels
• Some kind of braking system
• Carts can be pushed off the start line
• Drivers must wear a helmet (!!!)

Speed

Gravity is the only energy source, after the initial start line push. As such, soapbox carts can be made more (or less) speed effective with aerodynamics, wheel quality and, of course, the skill and courage of the driver.

Our extensive research (!!) into soapbox carting has revealed that the average speed is somewhere between 30 and 50km per hour, which we think is pretty nippy when your rattling down in a rickety box!

Incredibly, during the 2011 Cairngorn Soapbox Extreme in Scotland, drivers hit speeds of over 70km per hour!

 Opoul Périllol

We can’t guarantee record-breaking speeds but we can guarantee a lot of fun!

Make a day of it by taking a picnic (some food and drink available on site) and enjoy the crazy downhill antics from 10am to 6pm.

Don’t rush off though, because after the prize giving and evening entertainment, from 8pm to 10pm, enjoy the ONLY night-time soapbox descent in the South of France!