HOME AND AWAY - IAN MOORE: David Brannigantalks to the professional sailor, a man who has displayed a variety of talents in his role as on-board navigator.

LIVING OUT a lifetime's ambition is a dream come true for professional sailor Ian Moore, who travels to the world's best-known regattas and championships in his key role as on-board navigator. It's a long way from Carrickfergus and almost as far as his first job on a boat - as an amateur bowman in the Commodore's Cup.

Normally the bowman and navigator are separate functions on a racing yacht, worlds apart between the lonely grind of exposed forward section of the boat and the "brains trust" in the after-guard.

But when the navigator on Babbalaas didn't arrive for a race one day, Moore somehow managed to fill both positions and his talent in the tactical department was discovered.

Fast forward to 2000 and life as a naval architect in Southampton changed completely as he switched to full-time sailing.

That decision started a career that most recently involved racing alongside Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie with Emirates Team New Zealand in their challenge for the America's Cup that ultimately saw defeat at the hands of defenders Alinghi of Switzerland.

But his talent isn't limited to this arena, and probably just as well as the legal wrangling over the date and format of the 33rd America's Cup continues.

True to form, the pro sailors have a safety net of sorts as the Transpac 52-foot circuit has drawn large numbers of redundant team members away from the established bases at Valencia to join the six-event series of the Audi MedCup, which is increasingly seen as the practice ground for Cup teams on ice.

While the resources required aren't nearly as large as the Valencia event, little expense is spared in maintaining the fleet in both sailing and corporate sponsorship terms. In other similar projects, Moore explains, a crew might turn up the day before the practice race and prepare the boat.

For his team on the American entry Quantum, the sailors arrive four days earlier than normal at every event and embark on detailed preparations designed towards building their results. The ultimate aim of their campaign is to promote their sponsor, who is trying to break through the dominance of a rival sail-maker.

But the intensity of this campaign that amounts to 100 days this year alone carries a considerable personal toll on the 15-strong, fully professional crew, many of whom fly in from the States for each regatta.

In Moore's case, he has added cause for watching the number of his competition days, as the arrival of his 17-month old daughter, Matilda, saw her become the centre of his life. Achieving a balance between family and professional demands is a constant challenge, made somewhat easier for Moore in that his wife, Emily, met him at the start of his professional career and adjusts to the travel.

"We used to be very portable and Emily has come to a few events," says Moore. "Most teams are very accommodating and understand the situation, which is shared by most of the pro sailors."

Nevertheless, at 37 Moore is already considering cutting back on the number of events. "In the future, I can see a time when I do less of this, which is usually around three to four projects a year," he said.

And would a complete change ever be requested? "I always want to work like this (to some extent), but I doubt that Emily would ever ask me to give it up completely."

That happy balance is in part achieved by their home in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, where his wife's family have played a large supportive role that underpins the constant travel.

A further test will come later this year when Moore moves to his next role as navigator for the Green Dragon Team that is currently based in Cork preparing for the 39,000-mile race around the world, a course that will take nine months to complete and will include 10 stop-over ports.

Ironically, had his future been predicted for him at school, Moore would have been shocked. "I never wanted to become a professional sailor," he said. "I just didn't want to be forced into doing something I live by relying on it for an income."

He disagrees with the notion that pro sailors are simply mercenaries turning up on demand for wealthy owners. "Sure, it's possible to make a reasonably good living at this, but every one of us on board are highly competitive and passionate about every race," he maintains.

But adaptability is key to maintaining his career prospects, and the opposite styles of inshore and ocean racing are intricately different. The former is much more supportive within the team, whereas offshore the navigator becomes the principal tactician on board alongside the skipper, who makes the final decisions.

For the inshore series, such as the MedCup and America's Cup regattas, Moore's focus is on the start of a race, positioning the boat to get the clearest breeze on the line and working closely with the bowman to ensure their timing and calls to the helmsman get the best start.

After that, the pressure relaxes somewhat as he switches to supporting the tactician with a constant feed of information on course conditions and other boat movements.

This is monitored by a hand-held computer that works through a high-tech wi-fi system on board every race boat.

"The navigator's role is all about having a working relationship with the tactician and skipper," explains Moore, who stresses the need for a long-term approach. "It's much more difficult to just turn up for one event and be expected to work wonders instantly.

"There are still so many things I want to do, but it's much harder now," says Moore. "I used to say 'yes' to everything. A lot of us are at that age now."