Claws-Mail vs. Sylpheed

Claws Mail client has gotten increasingly buggy over time on Linux.

Now it crashes often. It especially crashes when accessing pop and nntp over a Tor proxy. The way it interfaces with the gnu nntp library causes it to crash a lot. This newsreader has become aggravating to use. It is almost like someone put the bug there on purpose to discourage Tor usage.

I am looking at Sylpheed as a replacement. Does anyone have experience with Sylpheed? What has that experience been like? Do unexpected bugs hide in its woodwork? Has the developer gone AWOL? What is the status of the project?

I can't use Thunderbird. It takes 30 to 45 seconds just to open the program and it freezes up periodically.