The Washington crew teams will be split up to compete in two regattas to kick off the start of the spring season this weekend.

The top two varsity boats for the men and women, along with the best freshmen boats will be in the sun at the San Diego Crew Classic, while the rest of the team members will be braving Seattle rain on the Montlake Cut for the Husky Classic.

Some of the best crew teams from around the nation will be in San Diego, where powerhouse programs like Michigan, Brown, USC and Clemson, among others, will provide the Huskies with some tough competition.

“The guys’ field is stellar, and the women’s field is pretty darn good as well,” said Bob Ernst, women’s coach and program coordinator. “This is one of the best intersectional races of the whole season.”

This weekend’s races are significant because they affect qualification and seeding for the Pac-10 and NCAA championships, which are a little more than a month away.

“On the women’s side, it’s really important,” Ernst said. “There are only 16 teams that make it into the NCAA championships, and we certainly want to be one of them.”

Although the teams are coming back from the break after fall season, Ernst is positive that they are ready to go.

“We took seven days off for Christmas, and that was it,” he said. “We’ve been training since September for this.”

The Husky Classic is a one-day series of races on Saturday, while the regatta in San Diego is a two-day affair, with races on Saturday and Sunday. Both will test the endurance of the UW crew teams.

“A lot of good crews come together down here in San Diego, and they pound on each other for a couple of days,” Ernst said.

Members of the Husky crew teams are anxious to begin the season, and this weekend will be a good test to see where they stand.

Reach reporter Scott Eisen at sports@dailyuw.com.