About this tender
The XT21 is the MasterCraft we point owners toward when the brief is a single hull that can ski, wake, and surf without asking the crew to carry a bag of wedges and plates on board. It is a 6.5m classic-bow crossover - not a fork-nosed wake specialist, not a stripped ski boat - and that traditional monohull bow is a deliberate engineering choice: less water over the nose in a chop, more confidence at speed for passengers who are not standing on a board behind it.
Fourteen people fit on the factory seating plan, which MasterCraft achieves through full wraparound cockpit seating, bow seating, and aft seats that fold flat to a sun pad. Storage runs to 87 cubic feet across the deck, which keeps the cockpit clear when the boat is carrying its full complement. The 2020 model year UK specification we see most often pairs the Vector Drive hull with the Ilmor 6.0L GDI petrol V8, though three Ilmor engine variants bracket the range from 320 hp on the standard 5.7L MPI up to the 6.2L GDI at 430 hp.
The Gen 2 Surf System is the feature most buyers ask about first, and correctly so. It is not a bolt-on trim plate: it is an integrated package of hull geometry, hard-sided ballast tanks rated to carry up to 2,500 lbs of additional ballast, software, and a transom wake-shaping device that works as a system. The result is a surf wave adjustable from the helm display in real time, without stopping the boat. Wakeboard, slalom, and open-water runs all sit within the same hull's capability envelope.
The XT21 is hand-built at MasterCraft's Vonore, Tennessee facility in GRP construction. The Dockstar Handling System - an optional flanking rudder arrangement - is worth specifying if your marina berth is tight; it makes low-speed maneuvering meaningfully more controllable than a single-rudder inboard of this size has any right to be. Tower options run to the ZFT4 or the ZFT7 Power Tower, the latter available with custom colour and speaker configurations.
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Highlights
The four details we'd point out first to a captain who hasn't seen one on the water yet.
The XT21 is the first model in MasterCraft's XT series to use a traditional monohull bow rather than a pickle-fork configuration. This gives it more predictable behaviour in chop and broadens the appeal to passengers who are not watersports-specific. The Vector Drive hull delivers responsive handling with controlled bow rise across ski, wake, and surf modes.
The optional Gen 2 Surf System is a purpose-engineered package: custom hull geometry, hard-sided ballast tanks accepting up to 2,500 lbs of ballast, integrated software, and a transom wake-shaper. All parameters are adjustable from the helm display without stopping. It is not a plate retrofit; the system is designed specifically around this hull.
Factory seating accommodates fourteen people across wraparound cockpit seating, a full bow area, and convertible aft seats that fold flat to form a sun pad. Storage capacity is 87 cubic feet, distributed in under-seat lockers and purpose-built compartments, keeping the deck clear at full passenger load.
Three Ilmor V8 options cover the XT21's engine bay: the standard 5000 MPI V8 at 320 hp (5.7L), the 5500 GDI V8 at 365 hp (5.3L), and the 6000 GDI V8 at 430 hp (6.2L). All are General Motors blocks marinized exclusively for MasterCraft by Ilmor Marine. The 6.2L GDI is the engine most 2020 UK-spec boats carry.
The optional Dockstar Handling System adds a flanking rudder arrangement to the Vector Drive inboard, giving the helmsman significantly finer low-speed control in confined marinas. For owners keeping the boat on a tight alongside or in a crowded inland marina, it is a specification worth adding at the order stage rather than wishing for afterward.
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The full specification
Specifications, prices, availability, and performance figures are supplied for guidance only and remain subject to confirmation by the yard, seller, broker, survey, contract, and final specification.
Questions, answered
Last call · Available
MasterCraft · Vonore, Tennessee, USA
Tell us about your yacht, your programme, and the missions XT21 needs to handle. We come back within 48 hours with a written assessment - fit for the brief, lead time, and trade-offs against alternatives in the same band.
Prefer to talk? +44 (0) 77180 88055 · other ways to reach us
From the library
