NEIYA Secretary Karen Binder has this to offer, followed below by Warren Nethercote.

I could be flippant but I’ll be serious: I think giving some older folks a bit of a head start could work at local smaller regattas.
But the sprint is part of the game and promotes greater athleticism in my opinion. So, I’ll keep going to the track three days a week. Jumping bleachers,
pulling and pushing a weighted sled and doing timed 40 yd dashes! So until rule change, I plan to crush it off the line.
The Andre Baby start at the New Englands on Winnie last season? Everyone had fun and he appreciated it as his sailing ability is greater than his sprinting ability. But for major regattas, not so sure.
I do think some handicap system might keep older folks in fleet; in the laser master fleet there is a built in handicap based on age. Your finish
result is altered by a set amount based on your age. Its widely accepted and works well. So the idea of doing something for older folks has some merit.
With few young people getting into the sport we should all brainstorm ways to keep people engaged. You and Andre could talk about something. T has even
thought it a good idea to do something.