To highlight the behaviour of a ship in critical conditions in beam waves, a campaign of experiments have been conducted on the scale model of a RoRo. Two loading conditions and transversal inclinations following SOLAS’90 were analysed in different wave intensities. The results evidence a slightly greater roll amplitude in the bias into the waves condition. This condition appears to be the worse also for water on deck. The problems connected with the simulation of the large amplitude motions are discussed by means of a parameter identification technique.