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): October 14, 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 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure

     On October 14, 2004, The Navigators Group, Inc. issued a press release with
respect to its current estimate of after-tax net losses from Hurricane Ivan. A
copy of this press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Form 8-K.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits

(c)  Exhibits

     99.1  The Navigators Group, Inc. press release dated October 14, 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: October 14, 2004




INDEX TO EXHIBITS


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

 99.1             Press Release dated October 14, 2004

EX-99.1

                                                                    Exhibit 99.1

              Navigators Announces Hurricane Ivan Impact

    NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 14, 2004--The Navigators Group,
Inc. (Nasdaq:NAVG) announced today that its estimated after-tax net
loss from Hurricane Ivan will approximate $3.3 million or $0.26 per
share in the 2004 third quarter.
    Substantially all of the Hurricane Ivan claims result from the
Company's offshore energy exposures in the Gulf of Mexico. The net
loss amount is inclusive of expected reinsurance recoveries and
related reinsurance reinstatement premiums.
    The Company believes that net losses, if any, from all of the
other 2004 third quarter hurricanes and the storms in the Pacific are
not significant.
    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 Reform 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
             Executive Vice President
             and Chief Financial Officer
             914-933-6088
             pmalvasio@navg.com
             www.navg.com