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2011 MYS: Mikael Silvestre Talks Rhum St Barth
Most footballers approaching their mid-30s are thinking about winding down and preparing for a life of leisure. For the former French international Mikael Silvestre, however, those plans are on hold.
Having won virtually all there is to win in the sport, Silvestre and his wife Severine have embarked on a new business venture that has led to the creation of their own brand of rum.
Rhum St Barth is a product that is Caribbean in heart and soul. No surprise as the region is somewhere that the couple hold dear, and where ultimately they intend to settle after Mikael’s football career comes to an end.
Superyachts.com sat down with Silvestre at the Monaco Yacht Show to discuss his new labour of love.
“My dad was born in Gaudalupe [in the Caribbean],” he told Superyachts.com’s Shari Liu.
“I’ve been travelling there since a young age and four years ago made a decision with friends of mine what to do after my career and we decided rum – because it’s a passion.
“We visited St Barths ten years ago and we fell in love and are building a house there - it’s not only a business project it’s a life project, as we want to live there after and enjoy our time.”
He summed up his motives for the venture by peering into the future and imagining a scene of idyllic pleasure: "It’s a great moment when you can share a drink with your friends and family on a beach and there’s no better place than in St Barths."