Boating — December 2018

(Brent) #1

SEE THE
VIDEO


SPEED EFFICIENCY OPERATIONnaut. stat. n. mi. s. mi. sound
rpm knots mph gph mpg mpg range range angle level
1000 4.61 5.30 1.30 3.54 4.08 293 338 0 76
1500 6.26 7.20 1.80 3.48 4.00 288 331 1 79
2000 7.99 9.20 3.00 2.66 3.07 221 254 2 81
2500 9.30 10.70 4.30 2.16 2.49 179 206 4 82
3000 12.43 14.30 6.00 2.07 2.38 171 197 7 88
3500 17.51 20.15 7.40 2.37 2.72 196 225 7 87
4000 20.94 24.10 9.40 2.23 2.56 184 212 8 91
4500 24.42 28.10 12.20 2.00 2.30 166 191 6 92
5000 27.11 31.20 14.10 1.92 2.21 159 183 6 96
5600 29.81 34.30 17.80 1.48 1.71 123 141 5 96
MOST ECONOMICAL CRUISING SPEED

High Points
XWe’ve already said it, but it bears
repeating that the wave generated
by Centurion’s Ri257 proved giant
and ridiculously fun.
XQuickSurf Pro, Centurion’s inte-
grated surf system, really shines
aboard this bigger boat and makes
transfers from one side of the
wake to the other easy for riders.
XNew Opti-V hull design offers ex-
ceptional balance for a symmetri-
cal wakeboard wake and, thanks
to less resistance on the running
surface, better fuel economy.

Specs
· LOA: 25'7" · BEAM: 8'6"
· DRY WEIGHT: 6,150 lb.
· SEATING CAPACITY: 18
· FUEL CAPACITY: 92 gal.

How We Tested
ENGINE: 450 hp PCM H6DI
DRIVE/ PROP: V-drive/16" x 15"
4-blade Nibral
GEAR RATIO: 1.72:1
FUEL LOAD: 90 gal.
CREW WEIGHT: 365 lb.
Price
$178,475 (as tested without
tax/dealer prep/shipping)

CENTURION


Ri257


level rider. The wraparound seating fea-
tures rear-facing backrests for spotters,
and a slide-out bench with backrests too.
Underway and cruising, and with
the ballast tanks drained to empty, we
found the Ri257 fun to run. It topped out
at 34.3  mph, powered by a 450 hp PCM
engine. We recorded a most economical
cruising speed of 20.1 mph while burn-
ing 7.4 gph for a thrifty net economy of
2.37  mpg. The Ri257 roared to 20 mph in
8.2 seconds, and we clocked time to plane
at a swift 3.9 seconds.
If you want to be able to create monster
waves and also have the most control over
the shape of waves and wakes — and you
want all your friends in on that action —
then make a beeline for Centurion’s Ri257
at the next boat show.

The Centurion Ri257 is a giant of a water-
sports boat that makes a statement with
how big it is, how many of your family and
friends it can carry, and the sheer size of
the waves it can create. It’s no wonder this
boat was chosen as the offi cial tow boat of
the BoardCo Rocky Mountain Wake Surf
Open, as well as the offi cial
Pro and Outlaw tow boat for
the 2017 World Wakesurfi ng
Championship presented by
GM Marine.
At over 25 feet long and
displacing more than 6,000
pounds, you can bet the Ri257
can push a lot of water when
called upon to do so. Total bal-
last capacity is 5,550 pounds.
With the new Opti-V hull,
which is softer-riding and
more effi cient in addition to
wake- and wave-enhancing,
plus QuickSurf Pro, all that

water can be shaped into a wave or wake
that is ready to meet the needs of the rider
at the moment. That means this boat can
produce waves that work for riders of all
levels, from beginners to surfers who can
execute at high competitive levels.
The waves and wakes produced are
truly pro-level. Riders behind your boat
can perform a wide range of tricks and
moves because the wave the Ri257 and
its systems help you create can pretty
much handle it all. Tweaking the center
tab allows you to customize it to your lik-
ing — and to the riding styles of your crew.
After our testing and riding of the Ri257,
we can say this boat off ers a wave boasting
plenty of size, power and pocket for any

PHOTOS: ZACH STOVALL

CENTURION BOATS
Merced, California; 209-384-0255; centurionboats.com

To watch our
video review of
the Ri257, scan
this tag or visit
boatingmag
.com/bbg18/
centurionri257.


C


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