Whereas conventionally you would kneel in a canoe you sit in this case. Your feet are on a foot plate, often with a pull bar, as you find in race kayaks. This enables more efficient power transfer to push the boat forward. Sitting sacrifices stability for speed.
In North America there is a very large sit and switch race programme over varying distances and in specially designed classes of canoe.
(in the photo of the 2 sit and switch canoes the burgundy-coloured Wenonah canoe has a rudder!! It steers from the foot plate like a surf sky and while not accepted in competition it makes life very enjoyable when out on the water and is good for training C2 if your paddling partner is at work!!)