Like father, like son: Can Gourlay better Dad's around-the-world record?

The 46-year-old Launceston sailor is set to sail solo around the world non-stop, a feat his father, Ken Gourlay OAM, accomplished across 2006 and 2007.

Ken's time of 179 days, 21 hours, 37 minutes and 58 seconds still stands as an Australian record, one Tristan is hoping to better when he sets off from Hobart on Sunday.

"Having Dad go was a good inspiration and also a good feeling out for what's involved fully, and luckily now, I have the opportunity to do this," Tristan said.

"He's mainly just given me a heads-up as to what to expect along the way.

"Then his experiences and how he did certain things, which gives me an idea on how to do it.

"He certainly has been helping out most days here, setting up certain systems and helping out, so his information and experience has been pretty valuable."

Describing his upcoming challenge as an endurance event, Tristan said "quite a fair bit" has to go right to take Ken's time out of the record books.

However, Ken himself said his record wasn't very fast.

"I always figured I could take a month off the record. Halfway, I was two weeks ahead of it, but then I had things you can't control," Ken said.

"I had sails disintegrating, I broke three strands and my rigging in three different areas, so I had to gentle the boat all the way home, which only just got me home inside the record.

"He'll be open for all of those things he can't control, but we've gone through it and we've done a lot more miles than I ever did on the Spirit prior to my trip."

Since purchasing Blue Moon II in December 2023, the father-and-son pair have competed in the Melbourne to Devonport last October, the Sydney to Hobart in December and the Melbourne to Osaka in March.

Those practice runs and Tristan's extensive knowledge have Ken believing his son has what it takes to become the new record-holder.

"I'd like him to take my record, take a little pressure off me," Ken said with a smile.

"I've had it for 19 years, and always say you only borrow these things, so good on him, and I really do wish him all the best."

After taking a "quiet and easy passage" from the Tamar River to Hobart last week, Tristan's journey will begin in Hobart on Sunday.

From there, he will go under New Zealand and under Chile's Cape Horn before heading up the east coast of South America and into the Atlantic Ocean.

Tristan will then cross the equator and go around St Peter and St Paul Rocks, one of the specifications of the record attempt, before heading back down through the Atlantic, around the bottom of Africa and then back towards Hobart.

It sounded rather simple when Tristan explained it, but he's aware of how dangerous what he's about to do could be.

"You do sort of look around and realise, 'hey, if I go over here, there's no one here to do anything', so clipping on is a big thing, especially up on deck," he said.

"One thing will be to slow down and make sure I do things safely, because I am so isolated and everything is up to me - I'm the ambulance, the fire brigade, everything - so it is something that always lurks in the back of your mind."

Most of Tristan's time on the sea will be spent sailing the boat itself, but he still needs to maintain an everyday routine throughout the journey - cooking, cleaning, resting etc.

In the meantime, he'll draw, write and fish, the latter of which will supplement his diet featuring a mixture of fresh produce in the early days before relying on long-life and tinned products.

The Gourlays instigated a major overhaul of the 1989-built Blue Moon II last winter, re-rigging the Adams 16.4 boat and repowering it with a new motor.

"She was more or less set up as a fast family cruiser and long-distance family cruiser," Tristan said.

"She has shallow draft, which is great for cruising, and it's not going to affect me too much being out in the middle of the ocean.

"She's quite a comfortable boat, but still has its turn of speed and does get along all right."