In February, Velocity Sports Equipment introduced its main-assisted-reserve-deployment system for the Infinity harness-and-container system. The MARD will be standard on all new Infinity rigs, but cannot be retrofitted to older rigs.
According to the company, the component is the first second-generation MARD on the market. The company states that the new MARD is unique in that it allows users to perform a pin check and that the device also “has a positive mechanical connection once the deployment sequence is initiated. This means there’s no chance of a premature release of the MARD partway through the deployment process,” and that it has “the lowest release force during a reserve-only deployment. This means that your reserve pilot chute will get an unrestricted launch and perform as intended at extreme low speeds.” The MARD also includes a Collin’s lanyard that will cut away the left-side riser in the unlikely event of a right-side-riser failure.
Velocity Sports Equipment will build and ship every Infinity with the MARD components at no extra charge. The purchaser of the rig can configure it however they want: with the MARD, with a standard reserve static line or without either. More information is available at velocityrigs.com.