At least 30,000 people from 60 countries took part in Bart's Bash in September, in tribute to Andrew "Bart" Simpson who was killed in May 2013 while training for the America's Cup.
It has been classed by Guinness World Records as the "Largest Sailing Race in 24 hours (multiple venues)".
The event raised more than Â£366,000 for the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation.
Video evidence of 9,484 boats competing at 237 locations worldwide was submitted to Guinness World Records to enable them to verify the record.
Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation trustee Sir Ben Ainslie said: "No-one could have imagined how big the event would become.
"It is a real reflection of how much Bart meant to people across the world, and how sailing can unite people."
Father of two Simpson, who lived with his wife Leah and two sons in Sherborne, Dorset, won Olympic gold at Beijing 2008 and silver at London 2012.
He died in May 2013 when his catamaran flipped over during training for the America's Cup in San Francisco Bay.
The next Bart's Bash will be held on 20 September 2015.
A global sailing event held in memory of a British Olympic champion sailor has been declared a world record.