Yeah I wondered the same thing when I first caught a glimpse of this design over a year ago.

Compared to Ian Oughtred's MacGregor sailing canoe I'd lusted over for 30+ years, I decided a Waterlust was a better choice now (I'm 30+ years older) in that it's 1) available in kit form and 2) has wider beam and higher freeboard. Both features provide greater stability for what I envision I'll get into once I get my kit built & launched.

Maybe John and/or Dillon can add their perspectives?

Stacked up against other sailing canoes, the Waterlust is certainly on the stable end of the spectrum.  A wide waterline beam and full ends help keep the boat upright, but it'll still buck an inattentive sailor in blustery conditions!  I haven't had the pleasure of righting one of the canoes, yet - but from all reports I've heard, the boat comes back up again with no trouble.  There's plenty of flotation to keep the boat upright and stable while bailing the water that does make it into the cockpit.  With the open cockpit under the aft deck, there is quite a bit of volume to bail should the boat go over, so I'd recommend fitting a few flotation bags to reduce that flood-able volume.  Better yet, outfit the boat for an adventure with provisions and gear stored in dry bags.  You'll add flotation and ballast in one stroke!

Perhaps those who have built and sailed one of these canoes can chime in with their experiences?

   I did two unvoluntary capsize tests and the boat was extremly easy to right and I was also able to get in the boat again without much trouble. As Dillon wrote the boat ships quite some water in a capsize and it takes some time to bail it out, but that‘s about as much trouble as you will get. And did I mention that the Waterlust is a very pleasurable boat to sail? But it wants to be sailed rather actively in a bit of wind. All in all I can highly recommend it.

Was this when you were winning your ribbon at MASCF?

Pretty cool event!   Lots of fine-looking craft captured in those pics!

No Laszlo, that was some weeks before that when I sailed it in Chester river near Eastern Neck with too much wind and too much sail up