Roger organised several channel sailing trips.  The one I went on was in 1979 on Matador for DSS & BIST members sailing from the Hamble to Ch Is and St Malo via the Minkies [nr Cherbourg peninsula].
Approx 10 crew - sailing on the midnight tide. . As we were leaving late Roger decided to eat in the local pub and the other 6 or 7 went to the pub for supper [skipper Roger & mate -  John Barclay]  - I arrived a little later & had eaten - So we stowed our kit below, had a drink & waited for the returnees.

We set off on time, on a fortunately calm clear night, once we had left Southampton water, It happened !! 1 by one - All the pub grub eaters went down with bad stomachs - leaving just Me, [Tim], & 2 novice girls [Janet & Linda] to take charge & get Matador across the channel to Alderney.  As usual Roger had a plan & knew the course he set us on.  We then had to spend all night on deck steering and watching for the normal Channel Traffic.  Roger popped his head out, fleetingly, a few times - on his several bouts to the 'heads' to check all was well with us on Deck.   My recent navigation training & no mishaps brought us right on the mouth of  Alderney harbour as it crested the horizon in the early morning.  When we arrived the others staggered out feeling worse for wear, but were set-to by Roger to clean-up below deck to make it habitable for the rest of the week.

Feeling better after a walk around the town & some clean air & good food Roger made a contingency - We would sail on to St Malo as the weather was fine & we could 'cruise' the Cherbourg coast and view the Minkies - a notoriously dangerous [ for the unwary ] piece of water - During this passage he decided to do a man overboard drill for the novices, Roger Ian & Tim sat on the taff rail - while Roger threw out a bouy called 'Man-overboard' then sat and watched to see if the novices had learnt anything !!  The boat went about several times - eventually with a few hints the buoy was recovered - Only later to realise that this activity, was only saved by the high tide as we were among the outlying Minkies - which could have severely damaged the boat, if we had hit.
The rest of the trip to St Malo, St Peter Port & return passage was less eventful and all, Matador included, were returned safely to the Hamble at the end of the week.