Join us as we look back on the biggest yacht news of 2015, starting with January...

At the end of 2014 Bermuda was named as the host of the 35th Americas’s Cup, so in January we looked at the six reasons why it was chosen. America’s Cup hero Ben Ainslie was in the news after he had to be rescued by Richard Branson whilst on his honeymoon.

January was also a significant month for yacht news when we got the first pictures of recently delivered 51 metre Heesen MySky. The 101 metre Kusch superyacht I Dynasty was also spotted on the move and Vitruvius yachts revealed the design for a new 50 metre.

January was also a month for news from under the sea. The catamaran motor yacht Thunderbird 2 was revealed to be capable of carrying a submarine, named Thunderbird 4 of course. Meanwhile Calypso, the research vessel of diver and marine conservationist Jacques Cousteau, was found in a state of disrepair amid a legal battle.

There were also some tragic stories of yacht fires. The classic Feadship Notorious was destroyed while undergoing major repairs, the 42.6 metre Lubenico caught fire at sea and a marina in Fort Lauderdale was forced to close after a fire destroyed two yachts.

February featured one of the most popular yachting stories of the year. Rumours of a 222 metre yacht called Triple Deuce were reported in the mainstream and specialist superyacht press.

In other yacht news, Heesen launched their 50 metre custom superyacht Sibelle, Abeking & Rasmussen delivered 81 metre Romea and Oceanco delivered 89 metre Infinity. In design news Wider Yachts introduced its new Wider 125 at the Miami boat show.

The Showboats Design Awards 2015 winners were announced in February, while the finalists were also revealed for the Young Designer of the Year Award 2015.

The most contentious story of the month was that of Brazilian Billionaire Eike Batista, who’s yacht Spirit of Brazil VIII was seized by police.

March was the month of the classic yacht restorations with news of three yachts being restored in the UK. 50 metre Malahne was re-launched by Pendennis after a painstaking restoration, 38 metre Moon Maiden II was re-launched from Solent Refit after a major renovation and the Southampton yard also saw the arrival of 50 metre RS Eden for assessment before her refit.

Heesen had a busy start to the year and March brought yet more news from the Dutch builder with the delivery of 47m Asya. Benetti was also celebrating after the launch of three custom yachts.

Several interesting design concepts were revealed in March, including Echo Yachts' design for the worlds biggest ever trimaran and Lujac Desautel's concept Salt – an unusual 55 metre sailing yacht with glass facades and hull sections.

The saying ‘strength in numbers’ was given new meaning in March as 29,000 people joined the search for missing yacht and crew by sifting through satellite photos in search of a liferaft. And after eight years of looking, Paul Allen and the crew of Octopus finally discovered the wreck of a long-lost WWII ship.

ISIS has been making headlines throughout 2015, but in April a report allayed fears that ISIS could post a threat to superyachts in the Med.

In yacht news, Baglietto launched its second 46 metre superyacht, while Hollywood glamour was the inspiration for the superyacht concept from Los Angeles-based design studio Adam Voorhees. Pastrovich also revealed the X-Easy concept, designed to cut down the number of crew.

One of the biggest stories in April was our report of another yacht destroyed by fire, following a blaze in Bahia Mar in Fort Lauderdale.

On a lighter note it was revealed in April that one of the oldest yachts in the world could become a floating museum, plus there was an appeal to see if anyone could rescue classic yacht Caritas from being destroyed.

May brought tragic news as a crewmember of 82 metre yacht Kibo was seriously injured after falling from the yacht. In response to this we looked at the 5 things every yacht owner needs to know about crew safety.

A high-speed boat crash hit the headlines but luckily the teenager who was critically injured was reported to be ‘stable and improving’. In the same month, 58 metre luxury yacht Unbridled ran aground off Miami.

News of some impressive yachts was revealed in May, including much awaited photos of both the 140 metre Fincantieri yacht Ocean Victory and the extremely private 125 metre Maryah, as well as the delivery of the bright turquoise Princess 40M named Anka and Oceanco and Vitters' 85m sailing yacht Aquijo.

As excitement started to build for the upcoming America’s Cup World Series, footage emerged of Oracle Team USA in a jaw-dropping crash and tributes were paid to sailor Andrew Simpson on the anniversary of his death.

In destination news, a survey revealed a superyacht boom in Fiji, with a 40% increase in the number of superyachts that visited the country in 2014.

One of the memorable videos from June was a Norwegian advert created to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking alcohol while operating boats. The video went viral and was watched by millions.

June also brought us the christening of Francois Fiat’s luxury yacht Yersin and Boat International was live on the scene for the launch of ISA's 54 metre motor yacht Forever One. The 44 metre Feadship Moon Sand was filmed on sea trials and J-Class Lionheart was treated to a new paint job during refit.

There was another high profile yachting accident in June, when a man died after a luxury yacht and RIB collided in the Solent. Meanwhile footage emerged of the yacht Bellissima taking a beating during Hurricane Carlos just before she sank.

There was great news for yachts with plans to explore the east coast of Australia, when we revealed plans to expand Spit Marina in Sydney.

Some of the worlds biggest and most striking yachts were spotted in July. Drone footage emerged of the well known motor yacht A in Portofino, while Roman Abramovich's Eclipse turned heads as it was seen off Greenock, Scotland.

Turkish shipyard Alia Yachts realised a dream when it launched 41 metre motor yacht Rüya and Boat International readers were treated to photos of the interior of Feadship's new yacht Kiss as well as the first photos of dolphin-inspired superyacht Yas under way.

The biggest controversy in July came when Flavio Briatore appealed a tax fraud conviction over use of his yacht Force Blue. In the same month, multiple explosions were reported as a yacht caught fire and sunk off Greece.

Elsewhere, the Royal Phuket Marina in Thailand announced it will invest £95 million over the next five years to become an “iconic waterfront destination”.

Feadship was well documented in August: photos showed the innovative 83.5 metre Savannah on her maiden voyage and the recently launched largest ever Feadship Symphony cruising in the med. The same month saw CRN deliver its 55 metre superyacht Atlante.

In August we also brought you the exclusive story behind Melnichenko's Sailing Yacht A and how this sail-assisted motor yacht is pushing the boundaries of technology.

It was a historic month when the expansion of the Suez canal was completed, which is great news for any yachts heading from the Med into the Indian Ocean.

More yacht related drama made headlines as guns were seized and guests arrested on a luxury yacht in the Bahamas, plus there were shocking photos and video as another superyacht sank in Greece.

With the summer season drawing to a close, September was a busy month in the superyacht world.

Our top 10 yachts at the Cannes boat show displayed some prominent entries, including the superhero-inspired Benetti Vivace 125 Ironman. But despite the good showing of yachts the event was somewhat overshadowed by the death of a female journalist in a boating accident.

Two Italian yacht builders took the Cannes show as an opportunity to announce plans for growth. The Ferretti Group announced plans to invest €50 million to develop 27 new yacht models, while Azimut Benetti also announced new investment following strong growth. Other news from Italy came as the Italian government announced the sale of five luxury yacht marinas.

It was, of course, the Monaco Yacht Show in September and there was a flurry of yacht news unveiled at the show. There were 25 new yachts on display, 16 yachts for sale exhibited and top tenders and day boats presented. If you want to know what people thought of the event, take a look at what top brokers had to say about the Monaco Yacht Show.

At MYS, Heesen revealed images of the ultra-silent project Nova and Tansu yachts revealed four new build projects underway at its yard in Istanbul.

October saw a yacht crew hopeful become a hero during the flash floods in the South of France. The people on board an Israeli yacht also became heroes as they rescued 11 refugees from drowning in the Mediterranean. In the same month, 13 boats were destroyed in Boston.

Sea trial photos of the highly anticipated Sailing Yacht A were revealed as more details of the fascinating build came into the public domain. Steve Jobs' superyacht was also in the news again as Venus was back in the yard in France for more work.

With excitement building for the latest Bond film, MUB yachts revealed their fierce Calibre 102 metre yacht concept that looks fit for a Bond villain. Frank Gehry, renowned for creating some of the most unique buildings in the world, made his first foray in to the world of yacht design with the launch of unique sailing yacht Foggy.

As the yachting world expands further out off the beaten track, superyachts can be found in more remote destinations around the world. In October the Port Takola Yacht Marina and Boatyard in Krabi announced plans for a superyacht marina, as Thailand looks to become a new superyacht hub.

November saw the largest superyacht launch of 2015. The 156 metre Project Omar, was filmed coming out of the shed at Lürssen. She will be the fourth largest yacht in the world when she is delivered in 2016.

In a big month for the German yard, Lürssen also delivered the 91 metre Lady Lara to her owners.

With the superyacht industry starting to grow again after the financial crisis, it was pleasing to see US builder Christensen back on track with three new yachts in build.Hakvoort also launched its largest yacht to date, the 61 metre Just J's.

Lesbos has been at the frontline of the burgeoning refugee crisis this year, and in November hundreds of refugees were found on a luxury yacht that ran aground near the Greek island. And there was another yacht that ran out of water, when the luxury 40 metre yacht Nibani ran aground near Rome.

It was announced in November that piracy is no longer an issue for yachts in the Seychelles. The Seychelles is not the only destination seeking to attract superyacht owners to their shores; in Costa Rica the construction of a new superyacht marina is full steam ahead.

The box office smashing new Star Wars film was one of the biggest events in December and several boat builders revealed some timely news that coincided nicely with the film's release. Boat International reported on the Evo 43 dayboat that looks like a TIE fighter as well as the Star Wars-worthy stealth craft Ghost.

The divisive Motor Yacht A made the news once again in December following the launch of a new US Navy destroyer that may have inspired the design for the well known superyacht.

J Class yachts have always caused a stir of excitement amongst sailors, who will be pleased to see news in December that Vitters have started building a new 43.60 metre J Class, named Svea. Another build that was reported in December was the 139 metre Project Redwood, which is being built at Lürssen under a cloak of secrecy. Photos were also revealed showing the construction of Benetti's largest ever yacht, the 107m project FB 277.

Explorer yachts were a recurring theme in December. Fassmer and Beiderbeck Designs collaborated on an 80m explorer yacht concept, while the 107 metre Kleven explorer yacht Ulysses neared completion.

And finally, as the holiday season arrives at a climax in many of the Caribbean hotspots, Antigua revealed plans to become a Caribbean superyacht 'Mecca'.