Not sure I can make the thread more informative - but here's a tale for you!
As a "round the buoys" lake, loch and reservoir sailor, I took my Enterprise dinghy down to Cornwall a few years ago, and had a couple of weeks of belting sailing in and around the Camel estuary. One day, with a fine westerly blowing, I launched the boat at Rock and took 'er out for a solo spin, leaving my (fatter) crew on the beach eating ice cream.
I was about 11 stone at the time and the Enterprise, with no reefing, is a handful with so little weight in it. But after a few minutes it struck me that she wanted to plane without any effort, and - like the big show-off that I am - I brought her in to no more than 5m from the beach (which runs north-south and shelves quite quickly) to wow the crowds and my crew with a blisteringly-fast "sail by".
So there I am, literally going faster than I've ever sailed before (8-10 knots?), leaning out as far as I can, sheets are straining, and there's spray everywhere, the sun is shining, all is right with the world, the boat's singing and it's perfect. Then, peeking under the mainsail, I noticed a toddler on the beach not more than eight metres away, walking faster than me!
The Camel estuary is renowned for its currents. They are fast and close inshore.
After about two minutes of grannies, people in wheelchairs, and dogs with three legs passing me, wondering why anyone would have such a grin on his face and only be going about half-a-knot, I tacked 180 degrees and showed them!
...Nearly got left behind by the boat as it rocketed off, though.
Andy