When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Centurion Carbon Pro 2011 and the Centurion Lightning C4 2009 are deep vee designs with fiberglass construction — the buying decision usually comes down to a handful of practical questions: how many people are you putting on the water, how far do you trailer, and what does your tow vehicle weigh?
On paper these two are close siblings in the size department — Centurion Carbon Pro 2011 at 20,1 ft versus Centurion Lightning C4 2009 at 21,0 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Centurion Lightning C4 2009 tips the scales at 358 lbs — 337 lbs less than the Centurion Carbon Pro 2011 at 21 lbs. That difference is meaningful if you're working within a half-ton or three-quarter-ton truck's tow rating, especially once you factor in a motor, gear, and fuel.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Centurion Carbon Pro 2011 is rated for 3 passengers, while the Centurion Lightning C4 2009 caps at 1. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Centurion Carbon Pro 2011 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Centurion Carbon Pro 2011 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 3 passengers and at 20,1 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Centurion Lightning C4 2009 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 1 that costs less to run day-to-day.