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ONLINE68 | BOATINGMAG.COM | JUNE 2018TESTST
If you’ve been patiently
scouting out a new a tow
boat for wakboarding or
surfi ng, you could make the
case that the new Centurion
Fi21 is worth both the wait
and the weight. Fully op-
tioned, it has a total ballast
capacity of a whopping 4,750
pounds, which almost equals
the boat’s dry weight. But
what’s great besides the bal-
last potential is that the Fi21is totally plug-and-play —
order the options you want
and forget the things you
don’t. It’s why the Fi line,
which includes a 23-footer,
is of ered at a more budget-
friendly price point — what
Centurion calls “entry pre-
mium” pricing.
Beyond the options list,
the Fi21’s true highlight is
Centurion’s new Opti-V
hull. The design’s intent is to
take advantage of a V-hull’s
characteristic increasedCENTURION
Fi21
SPEED EFFICIENCY OPERATION
rpm knots mph gph naut. mpg stat. mpg range range n. mi. s. mi. angle levelsound
1000 4.26 4.90 1.30 3.28 3.77 141 163 1 84
1500 6.17 7.10 1.90 3.25 3.74 140 161 2 84
2000 7.30 8.40 3.00 2.43 2.80 105 121 5 85
2500 9.38 10.80 5.00 1.88 2.16 81 93 8 87
3000 14.51 16.70 6.50 2.23 2.57 96 111 10 91
3500 21.12 24.30 7.80 2.71 3.12 117 135 10 92
4000 25.29 29.10 10.70 2.36 2.72 102 117 5 94
4500 29.20 33.60 13.70 2.13 2.45 92 106 5 97
5000 31.46 36.20 17.70 1.78 2.05 77 88 5 99
5600 34.15 39.30 21.60 1.58 1.82 68 79 4 103
MOST ECONOMICAL CRUISING SPEEDHigh Points
XOptional Ramfill system can fill the
ballast tanks in as little as 90 seconds.
XWide bow design allows for increased
seating capacity on a 21-foot boat.
XOptional QuickSurf Pro system creates
superbly shaped waves for surfing.
XHD Touch Vision Dash allows the
driver to control ballast and other boat
systems via their fingertips.Low Point
XAdding too much weight to the boat
can affect its ability to properly
shape waves.Toughest Competitor
XThe Nautique G21 (which has a starting
price of $125,500) makes for a good
comparison boat. The Nautique is
powered by a range of PCM engines.· LOA: 21'0" · BEAM: 8'6" · DRAFT (MAX): 2'6"
· DISPLACEMENT (APPROX.): 5,100 lb. · TRANSOM
DEADRISE: 20 degrees · BRIDGE CLEARANCE: 8'0"
· FUEL CAPACITY: 48 gal. ·MAX HORSEPOWER: 410
·AVAILABLE POWER: Gasoline inboardsHOW WE TESTED
ENGINE: 409 hp PCM GML 96 DRIVE/PROPS:
V-drive/14^1 / 2 " x 14^1 / 2 " 4-blade Nibral GEAR RATIO:
1.72:1 FUEL LOAD: 40 gal. CREW WEIGHT: 365 lb.displacement to assist in cre-
ating big, symmetrical wakes
and waves. Combined with
internal ballast and Centu-
rion’s QuickSurf Pro system,
the wave cleans up perfectly
and is way bigger and more
powerful than what we have
experienced from most 21-
foot boats. In fact, with Cen-
turion’s Fi21, we discovered
there’s a need to be careful
not to overly weigh it down
lest the wave won’t
shape up properly.
The boat we tested
was not equipped
with the optional
Ramfi ll system,
which can reportedly fi ll
ballast in a super-fast 90
seconds. If you’ve ever wait-
ed 10 minutes to fi ll ballast
tanks, you’ll appreciate it.
Notably, we fi lled the side
ballast to only 70 while leav-
ing the bow ballast empty.
With the 409 hp engine
and carrying a crew of two
and a nearly full tank of fuel,
Centurion’s Fi21 reached a
top speed of over 39 mph. It
achieved plane with empty
ballast in 4 seconds, andwhen carrying the ballast
stated, it still showed good
giddyap, planing in less than
9 seconds. It will prove fun
to run when heading to the
beach or cove when the wa-
tersports session is done. The
wider bow seating area en-
sures the crew can lounge in
comfort up front as well as
in the main cockpit.
The Fi21 is a slick combo
of wide-bow functionality
and sporty, aggressive wake-
boat looks. The 21-foot size
is great for those who don’t
need a bigger boat but want
to surf a big, clean wave. We
defi nitely recommend adding
QuickSurf Pro to your boat,
which makes the waves awe-
some and aids in transferring
you from one side of the wake
to the other. The Fi21 is a lot
of bang for less buck, and it
just might fi t in your garage.
—Boating Tech TeamTo watch our video
review of the Fi21, visit
boatingmag.com/3078.
CENTURION BOATS
Merced, California; 208-384-0255; centurionboats.comPHOTO: ZACH STOVALL#3078Price: $125,094
(as tested)