The precise knowledge of loads and motions in extreme sea states is indispensable to ensure reliability as well as survival of ships and floating offshore structures. In the last decades, several accidents in severe weather with disastrous consequences have shown the need for further investigations. Thus, within the framework of the project “Handling Waves” funded by the European Union, ship responses and structural loads are systematically investigated. The investigations address the impact of freak waves on the total load considering three different types of ships. The focus lies on the determination of the influences of bow flare and freeboard height on the global loads. The study comprises systematic investigations in a tailored real world sea state with embedded freak wave accompanied by tests in high and steep regular waves. It is shown that large bow flares and freeboard heights contribute significantly to the vertical bending moment.
