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Stacey Jackson is convinced a female skipper will someday go one better than her and win overall honours in the Sydney Hobart.

The highest-placed female skipper in Sydney Hobart history says it won't shock her if a woman eventually leads a boat to overall honours in the great ocean race.

Stacey Jackson was skipper of Wild Oats X which finished second behind Alive in the battle for handicap honours in 2018.

The 2020 edition marks the 75th anniversary of the first woman to participate in the world-renowned ocean race.

Over 1000 women have raced since then, with more than 160 female crew members scheduled to sail south in 2020.

There will be four female skippers in this year's fleet, which currently stands at 76.

Jackson, who will be a crew member aboard the 78-footer Oroton Drumfire, believes it's inevitable a woman will one day be the winning skipper.

"It was the dream to do that (in 2018) and we did miss out just," Jackson said.

"But I think we've proved to the world that it is very possible and everyone will be shocked, but for me it wouldn't be.

"For me, it would be like 'about time a female skipper wins the Hobart race' because there is no reason she can't.

"There isn't a difference between being a male and a female, unfortunately it's the by-product of superstition through history that women don't sail.

"We'll work on it and I'd like to be that woman who does win the overall trophy and I'll keep working at it, don't you worry!"

She has witnessed a significant growth in female participation since her first Hobart in 2001 and pointed to pathways provided for women through development and mentoring programs.

Jackson hopes to see an equal, if not larger, number of females than males in the race in the future but stressed gender wasn't an issue for her on the water.

"I do like to see us as not male and female on a boat, I just see us all as sailors," Jackson said.

"Everyone as a sailor brings a different skill set or experience on board."

Adrienne Cahalan will this year extend to 29 her race record of most appearances by a woman, with Felicity Nelson set to become the second female to reach the 25 mark.

The female contingent for 2020 includes London 2012 Olympic sailing silver medallist Nina Curtis.