Macau → Ponta do Mel

The wildest leg of the northern downwind. You leave Macau westbound and immediately hit the open Atlantic, with oil rigs on the horizon and not a building in sight. The wind is strong and clean — 25–32 knots is typical. There is no shelter for 35 km, so you only commit when the forecast is rock-solid and you ride in a group of at least three with a chase buggy. Reward: an empty white beach at Ponta do Mel and the freshest seafood imaginable.