8-K

                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

       Date of Report (Date of earliest reported event): September 9, 2004

                           The Navigators Group, Inc.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its chapter)



    DELAWARE                        0-15886                      13-3138397
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   (State of                      (Commission                 (I.R.S. Employer
  organization)                   File Number)               Identification No.)





   One Penn Plaza, New York, NY                                   10119
     -----------------------------
(Address of principal executive offices)                        (Zip Code)


       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (212) 244-2333

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions (SEE General Instruction A.2. below):

[_] Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act
                                (17 CFR 230.425)

[_] Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act
                               (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

[_] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange
    Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[_] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange
    Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))





ITEM 5.02 Departure of Directors or Principal Officers; Election of Directors;
          Appointment of Principal Officers

          On September 9. 2004, H.J. Mervyn Blakeney was elected to the Board
          of Directors of The Navigators Group, Inc. Additionally, Mr.
          Blakeney was appointed to the Company's Finance Committee and
          Underwriting Advisory Committee. Mr. Blakeney is also the
          non-executive chairman of the Company's Lloyd's managing agency,
          a wholly-owned subsidiary.

          See the attached press release dated September 9, 2004.



                                    SIGNATURE

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                                  THE NAVIGATORS GROUP, INC.
                                  --------------------------
                                  (Registrant)


                                  /s/ Bradley D. Wiley
                                  ----------------------------------------------
                                  Name:   Bradley D. Wiley
                                  Title:  Senior Vice President, Financial
                                          Compliance Officer and Secretary



Date: September 14, 2004



INDEX TO EXHIBITS


Number            Description
- ------            -----------

  99.1            Press Release dated September 9, 2004

EX-99.1

                                                                    Exhibit 99.1

Navigators Elects Additional Director

    NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 9, 2004--The Navigators Group,
Inc. (NASDAQ:NAVG) announced that H.J. Mervyn Blakeney was elected
today to the Board of Directors of The Navigators Group, Inc.
    Mr. Blakeney currently chairs the Boards of two Lloyd's managing
agencies, including Navigators Underwriting Agency, Ltd. He recently
retired from positions as non-executive Director at Britannic Group
Plc and Eldridge Pope & Co Plc. He spent thirty years at Cadbury
Schweppes Plc, and served on the Board of Cadbury Schweppes from 1979
to 1988.
    Navigators' Chief Executive Officer, Stan Galanski, commented, "We
are delighted with the addition of Mervyn to our Board. He has done a
superb job as the non-executive Chairman of our Lloyd's managing
agency over the last eleven years, during which time it evolved from a
privately held enterprise to a Navigators' business unit. His
substantial international business experience will enhance our global
vision."
    The Navigators Group, Inc. is an international insurance holding
company with insurance company operations, underwriting management
companies, and operations at Lloyd's of London. Headquartered in New
York City, Navigators has offices in major insurance centers in the
United States and the United Kingdom.

    This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" as
defined in the Private Securities Litigation Act of 1995. We cannot
assure that results which we anticipate will be achieved, since
results may differ materially because of known and unknown risks and
uncertainties which we face. Please refer to Navigators' most recent
Forms 10-K and 10-Q and its other filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission for a description of Navigators' business and the
important factors which may affect that business. Navigators
undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-
looking statement.

    CONTACT: The Navigators Group, Inc.
             Paul J. Malvasio, 914-933-6088
             Executive Vice President
             and Chief Financial Officer
             pmalvasio@navg.com
             www.navg.com