Exhibit 99.1


              Navigators Prices $125 Million Senior Notes Offering


     NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 11, 2006--The Navigators Group, Inc.
(NASDAQ:NAVG) today priced its previously announced public debt offering of $125
million principal amount of 7% senior notes due 2016. The offering is expected
to close on April 17, 2006 with net proceeds to the Company of approximately
$124 million. The Company will use the net proceeds from the offering to make
contributions to the capital of its insurance subsidiaries and for other general
corporate purposes.
     Credit Suisse and JPMorgan are acting as Joint Book-Running Managers of the
offering and Keefe, Bruyette & Woods and LaSalle Capital Markets are co-managers
for the offering. A copy of the prospectus supplement relating to the offering
may be obtained from Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, at One Madison Avenue,
New York, New York 10010 (1-212-325-2580) or from J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.,
at 270 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10172 (1-212-834-4533).
     A Form S-3 registration statement relating to these securities has been
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and was declared effective on
November 18, 2005. This announcement shall not constitute an offer to sell or
the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these
securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be
unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of
such state.
     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, the United Kingdom and
Belgium.

     This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" as defined in
the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Whenever used in this
release, the words "estimate", "expect", "believe" or similar expressions are
intended to identify such forward-looking statements. 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 Form 10-K and its other filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission for a description of the Company's business
and the important factors which may affect that business. The Company 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