No, I definitely don't think there is a connection between Skyloft and the Ritos. Skyloft is a floating community amongst the clouds where humans live (Skyloftians). While the Ritos are the evolved forms of the Zoras who live on Dragon Roost Island hundreds of years later.
I know the two characters do look very similar, but I think that's just the design. Nintendo might have wanted the flying expert of Skyloft to look a little bit like the leader of the flying tribe of the Great Sea.