“What would you do if threatened?” Genovés wanted to know.
Prior to setting off, all participants were subjected to extensive physical and psychological testing, involving multiple questionnaires. Later the Acali would be dubbed “The Sex Raft” by the media, who followed the raft’s progress with salacious delight. The scientist was also intrigued by the purported connection between violence and sexual attraction, and thus deliberately chose “sexually attractive” participants from the thousands who responded to his international newspaper ads. The Swedish captain, Maria Björnstam, was the first woman in the world to secure a maritime command certificate, while Israeli doctor, Edna, and French scuba diver, Servane, occupied the other key positions of life onboard. Keen to harness – and put to the test – the force of the burgeoning feminist movement, he opted to place women in the raft’s most important roles. Ensuring a diverse crew – among them Bernardo, an Angolan Catholic priest Etsuke, a Japanese photographer and Jose-Maria, a Uruguayan anthropologist – was only one part of Genovés’ master plan.
