The boat will be fine for what you intend (see the Winter 2020 & Spring 2021 editions of Dufour News for my experiences). Whether the crew is up to it is far more important. If you ever find it too uncomfortable in rough weather, try slowing down. 6 knots into rough seas may be hard but 4 knots is much kinder. The biggest danger in the English channel is shipping and AIS makes a fantastic difference to give you peace of mind.
Alan
The membership association for owners of Dufour Yachts