  Distance to the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51, NGC 5194) is estimated using published
photometry and spectroscopy of the Type II-P supernova SN 2005cs. Both the
Expanding Photosphere Method (EPM) and the Standard Candle Method (SCM),
suitable for SNe II-P, were applied. The average distance (7.1 \pm 1.2 Mpc) is
in good agreement with earlier SBF- and PNLF-based distances, but slightly
longer than the distance obtained by Baron et al. for SN 1994I via the Spectral
Fitting Expanding Atmosphere Method (SEAM). Since SN 2005cs exhibited low
expansion velocity during the plateau phase, similarly to SN 1999br, the
constants of SCM were re-calibrated including the data of SN 2005cs as well.
The new relation is better constrained in the low velocity regime (v_{ph}(50) ~
1500 - 2000$ km/s), that may result in better distance estimates for such SNe.
The physical parameters of SN 2005cs and its progenitor are re-evaluated based
on the updated distance. All the available data support the low-mass (~ 9
M_\odot) progenitor scenario proposed previously by its direct detection with
the Hubble Space Telescope.
