I'm not sure as to the reasons, but I've certainly experienced the Row 11 effect - on a LHR-VIE flight a couple of years back. Like you, I thought I was in the best ET seat available, i.e. the first row of ET, and was most disappointed.

Highlife lists the A321 seat pitch as 30", rather than the more usual 31". This was reported on here as a Highlife gaffe, but as I said at the time, I for one am willing to believe it. Hasn't it also been reported that there's a plan to phase in new short-haul seats at 30" pitch?