A comparative study is carried out to investigate the most promising route towardsthe lightweight construction of a retractable mast for a sailing cargo vessel.Four design families are developed and compared. The primary criteria forjudgment are the structural mass, strength, and stiffness in relation to a providedbenchmark design. Additional evaluation criteria are the capital costsfor raw materials and manufacturing.The design space includes isotropic materials as well as fiber-reinforced polymer(FRP) solutions and is navigated by employing analytical evaluation methodssupported by finite element analysis (FEA). Restrictions to the designspace are given by a general arrangement of the benchmark design. This includesthe limitation to the ULS loads and the overall mast geometry.A review of relevant Det Norske Veritas (DNV) rules for classification is performedand the guidelines for wind turbine blades and wind-powered units(WPU) are judged most suitable to the design challenge. Relevant design principlesare implemented in the structural analysis.It is concluded that pure metal constructions imply an unreasonably large weightpenalty. Local buckling is found to disqualify FRP single-skin solutions as successfulcandidates. Secondary to that, strength concerns are the major driversfor the structural mass.The report presents two designs that are judged fit for the purpose, one is ahybrid truss structure from high strength low alloy steel (HSLA steel) and carbonfiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP). The second design is a sandwich constructionwith CFRP face sheets, a PVC foam core, and additional stiffeningmembers in steel.