On Saturday, November 14, 2026, crews from across the Southeast and beyond will line up on the Savannah River for the Head of the South Regatta. Hosted by the Augusta Rowing Club, it is one of the largest rowing races in the region: a 5-kilometer head race that starts at Hammonds Ferry in North Augusta and finishes in downtown Augusta, with boats from single sculls to eights. For many clubs it is the last big race of the fall season, and the 2026 regatta is capped at 700 entries.
For a visiting team, the race is the easy part. The hard part is putting a dozen rowers, a coach, and a few parents somewhere they can sleep, eat, and get out the door early together. A block of hotel rooms splits the team across floors and leaves dinner to a restaurant that may not seat 14 on a Friday night.
The Pine Cone is a different plan. It is a five-bedroom home in Evans on 1.2 private acres, about 20 minutes from downtown Augusta, where the race finishes. It sleeps 12 in real beds and up to 16 with two queen air mattresses on request, including a bunk room with two sets of bunks. Every bedroom has blackout shades, which helps before an early launch. Driveway parking holds 7 to 10 vehicles, so the team vans and parent cars all fit in one place.
The kitchen is built to feed a crew. There is a double oven, a four-burner stove, a large granite island, and a six-burner gas grill outside, with a dining table for eight and a breakfast bar for four more. Place settings for twelve adults are provided, along with a Keurig, an electric kettle, and coffee and teas for race morning. Cook the pasta dinner Friday night, pack breakfast Saturday, and come back to a real meal instead of a takeout line.
After the race, the house does the recovery work. A full-size washer and dryer handles wet unis and river-soaked gear, and the private six-person hot tub is a good place for tired legs. The propane fire pit and Adirondack chairs give coaches and parents a spot to go over the results, while rowers head to the game room for Golden Tee, foosball, a retro Nintendo with 30-plus games, and a 65-inch TV. A heads-up for a full house: both showers are upstairs, so plan a shower order.
Augusta Regional Airport is about 30 minutes away for teams flying in, and staying through Sunday turns a race day into a team weekend.
Booking direct at thepineconestr.com skips the platform service fee that Airbnb and Vrbo add, and it puts you in touch with the owner for team questions. Check your dates and reserve your regatta weekend at thepineconestr.com.