ok so i entered a local MultiGP qualifier basically on a dare from guys at my flying field and now its actually happening and im kind of freaking out a little. ive been flying fpv for about 14 months, mostly freestyle but ive been doing laps on a practice track i built in my backyard for the last couple months. my lap times are decent i think but i genuinely dont know what decent even means in a competition context.

im running a 5inch with a F7 stack, Raceband vtx at 25mw cause the field limits it, and i just switched to Crossfire after years on FrSky so still getting used to that. the quad feels good but im not sure my tune is dialed for racing specifically ? its a bit loose for freestyle but i dont know if that hurts or helps on a tight race course. any tips from people whove actually done the comp thing would be really appreciated. also how bad is the nerves thing, does it actually affect your flying that much

nerves are 100% real and yeah they will affect your flying, at least the first time. my first race i overcooked basically every corner in the first two heats because i was flying like i had something to prove instead of just flying my race. the guys who told me to just focus on clean laps instead of fast laps were right and i ignored them and paid for it. clean laps come first, the speed follows naturally once you stop white knuckling it.

on the tune question ? loose freestyle tunes arent great for racing, youll feel it most on tight chicanes where you need the quad to track precisely instead of doing that floaty freestyle thing. if you have time id bump up your D term a bit and tighten the rates down slightly, doesnt have to be a full retune just enough that the quad feels like its listening to you more precisely. also Crossfire is totally fine for racing, dont stress the switch.

honestly just go and have fun with it, your first couple races are basically just orientation anyway. i crashed out of my first three heats at my first event and still had the best day ive had flying in a long time. the community at MultiGP events is usually pretty welcoming especially for first timers, people are generally stoked that new racers are showing up. bring extra props, way more than you think you need, and a spare battery or two beyond what youre planning to fly. thats about it really