The two pins that hold the rear stays to the hulls are difficult to thread the split rings through (the old eyeballs aren't quite what they used to be). Is there some kind of quick connector that would be trust-worthy enough for this application (I did not see much at West Marine).

Ring pins are the best and easiest to put in and remove. However, my son, for example, does not trust them much. So he uses cotter pins -- easy to get in when new, but after that they are difficult. And they have a good chance of snagging and rippping a sail.

Best to stick with the ring pins. They also can manage to come out and cause a mast to fall. So, I always tape all ring pins before sailing with electrician's tape.
Good luck,
Rick