OUR TEAM

LARRY TROYANO - PRESIDENT

Larry joined Great Hudson in the summer of 1996 as a yacht broker. Three years later he was promoted to Sales Manager and earned many Beneteau sales awards along the way. In 2006 he purchased the dealership from Myles Gordon.

Larry has been instrumental in establishing our second sales office in Jersey City, NJ. Through his efforts, Great Hudson Sailing Center was certified as a “Platinum Dealership” in 2008.

JIM VILLONE - YACHT SALES

NEIL OSBORNE - YACHT SALES

Neil Osborne, Master Mariner, served on cargo ships, passenger liners and cruise ships in the British Merchant Navy until coming shoreside and working in cruiseship operations, marina management and waterfront activities - - all the while sailing recreationally in New York Harbor and undertaking yacht deliveries between Florida and Maine.

KATHY CREEDEN - OFFICE MANAGER

Kathy Creeden is the Office Manager and Sailing School Coordinator. She has wide ranging responsibilities from documenting warranty claims to writing the newsletter. In the sailing season, she books sailing lessons and arranges for instructors, as well as teaching Basic Sailing and Coastal Navigation courses. She holds a USCG license and is an ASA certified instructor.

She began sailing with her husband, Tom, in the BVI in 1986. To date she has chartered from many of the islands in the Caribbean. From 1986 to 1995 she was the mainsail trimmer and navigator aboard “Quetzal” a J-92 campaigned heavily on Long Island Sound. Kathy and Tom own “Tenacious”, a Tartan 28 berthed at the Haverstraw Marina.

TOM CREEDEN - SERVICES

Tom is ASA-certified instructor teaching all levels from Basic Keelboat through Coastal Navigation and the Radar endorsement. He is responsible for providing 4-5 hour new owner orientation with briefing of all on-board systems and new owner training in boat handling under power and sail. He a Raymarine certified electronics installer and does new boat rigging and commissioning.

In 2006 Tom won the Beneteau USA Service Dedication Award given to only one service person out of all US dealerships, and routinely delivers new boats for boat shows and new owners. He holds a USCG Masters 50 Ton license.

BILL DeWITT - SERVICES

Sailboat Rigger/Electronics Installer/Troubleshooter: Bill has been boating all his life, building his first boat, a kayak made of canvas over a fir strip frame when he was 12 years old. He has worked with electronics, starting with maintaining long-range weather radar installations for the U.S. Airforce in Texas/Germany/Maine for 4.5years. He was a Main Frame Computer engineer for IBM Corp. in Poughkeepsie/Germany/Kingston for 30 years. He managed 5 Charter Sailboats and gave Bare Boat Sailing instruction for Eaton Yachts in Essex Ct.

He started with Great Hudson Sailing Center in Kingston NY as a Sailing Instructor for the Sailing School. He switched to boat rigging and installing marine electronics in Kingston and then Haverstraw and has been with Great Hudson 15+ years. He was a licensed CG Captain for 15 years and has a NMEA Marine Electronics Installer Certificate and a Raymarine Service/Installer Certificate.

ANDY TROYANO - SERVICES

Andrew started at Great Hudson in 2000 working with the new boat commissioning staff. He prepares hulls for painting, does the pre-launch checklist, and assists in rigging construction and installation. He holds an associates degree in construction management.