Kingswear's very own Steve Redgrave in the making Bill Lucas was in action once again for team GB, this time in the Essen International Regatta, which took place last weekend. The Germans in Essen were not just racing for event titles, but also for selection to the German squad, so it came as no surprise when they performed very strongly throughout the regatta. Lucas, who was been trying out a number of different events so far this year, was racing in the quadruple sculls on the first day, part of a foursome who took a creditable fifth place behind the Croatian 2012 silver medallists who won from the two German entries and then Poland. The crew could so easily have claimed fourth in this event, their time of 6:20.87 being exactly the same as Poland's, who got the nod on the photo finish. Not content to compete in just one discipline, Lucas, who is warming up for the return to Eton Dorney in the World Cup regatta just over a month from now, on June 21, also took part in the double sculls, alongside Matthew Langridge. They finished fourth, behind three German crews, and some distance off the pace, recording a time of 6:47.60. Come the next World Cup, it will be interesting to see which boat Lucas ends up in. He came very close to securing a medal at the Olympics last year, finishing fifth in the final, but secured a historic gold medal at the first World Cup of the year in Sydney, when he was in the quad sculls.